Galaxy of Heroes

Gus Flory

GALAXY OF HEROES Copyright 2009 by Gus Flory

All Rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by photocopying or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously.

ISBN-10: 1449563899 ISBN-13: 978-1449563899 First Published, 2009 gusflory@yahoo.com

Cover art by Kim Sook-Young

Galaxy of Heroes

Part 1

Militarism

Torture is supposed to be painful, but this was ridiculous. It wasnt as if he had anything of strategic or tactical value to tell them, either. Theres no point, he thought. Death is preferable to hanging on any longer. But then, it wasnt in his nature to give in. Abruptly, the pain ceased. Capt. Jace Spade fell to the floor in a ragged heap of bones. Two Craaldan guards stood over him. They were all muscle and sinew, coated in form-fitting black body armor. Their yellow eyes looked down from behind faces of taut gray skin. The guards reached down and scooped him up, dragging him by the armpits from his cell. The Craaldan guards walked briskly down the dark corridor. They were infantry soldiers, about seven feet tall. Spade was taller than your average human, but only the toes of his boots dragged across the floor behind him as the towering Craaldans pulled his limp body along. They dropped him on the cold, black floor. Captain Jace Spade? said a voice from above. Thats me, he answered from the floor. Spade struggled to focus his one eye to see who he was talking to. His other eye was missing, and he tried to keep his eyelid closed over the empty eye socket. It was always uncomfortable to have cold air blowing around inside his skull. You are a human from the Naos moon in the Roga System? Affirmative, Spade answered.

He pulled himself to his feet and finally focused his eye on his Craaldan interlocutor who was sitting above him, looking down from behind a large black bench. The big Craaldan wore black body armor like the guards, but centered on his armored chest was a silver rank in the shape of an eagle-like creaturethe rank of a Craaldan colonel. I give you two options, Captain, the colonel said. Accept my demands, or face decapitation forthwith. How forthwith? Spade asked. The Craaldan guard next to him brandished a four-foot blade that gleamed in the artificial light. Forthwith, as in here as soon as you give your response. Spade stood in his gray flight suit looking up through the harsh light at the Craaldan colonel who was glaring down at him from behind his large bench of black metal. Spade shifted uneasily in his boots. What are the demands? I offer you a mission to transport a negotiator to Naos, the colonel said. Once on Naos, you and a squad will infiltrate enemy lines so that our negotiator can parlay a cease fire with the Diocon aggressors. The guard next to Spade tightened his grip on his blade. And if I dont accept your mission, this thug here cuts my head off? Affirmative, the colonel said. Mission accepted then, Spade said. A wise choice, the colonel said. The guard sheathed his blade. Spade shook his head and looked down at his boots. You Craaldans have got another thing coming, he muttered. Say again? the colonel asked. Nothing, Spade said. Disregard.

Spade dreaded the thought of returning to Naoshis home world, and the scene of an awful crime committed by the Diocon Empire against his fellow humans. Take him away, the colonel said. The guards seized him and dragged him out of the chamber. They pulled him outside onto an endless tarmac under a dark sky. They tossed his limp body into the back of a transport craft. The tall Craaldans sat stiffly beside him. The transport hovered upward several hundred meters and then began to coast over a tactical assembly area that appeared endless in scope. Military machinery and troops were lined up from horizon to horizon. Column upon column of artillery, armored vehicles, battle tanks, interstellar destroyers and infantry troops stretched as far as the eye could see. This bleak planet was nothing more than a giant staging ground for the Craaldan war machine. At one time, this planetGoffhad been home to a vibrant ecosystem. Several civilizations had developed here over tens of thousands of years, each with rich histories and impressive records of cultural and technological development. But then, the Craaldans arrived, and now all that was left was rock, wind and ash. Spade pulled an eye patch out of a pocket in his flight suit and put it on over the empty socket that once was home to an eyeball. He slicked back his black hair and tried to get as comfortable as was possible sandwiched between these two oversized armored guards. Do you mind if I smoke? Spade asked. The guards ignored him, so he lit up a cigar and puffed on it. The transport circled over an airstrip. Spade saw his interceptor belowstill red, black and deadly with sharks teeth painted under its nose. Its mammoth engines affirmed it
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was a ship built for speed. Painted on the hull was the drop dead image of a nude female cyborg sitting atop a skull and crossbones and holding the ace of spades in her hand. Stenciled underneath the cyborg were the words Red Wrath. Shes a beauty, aint she? Spade said. The guards were uninterested. The transport alit on the tarmac. The guards hustled Spade out the hatch and shoved him along to his ship. They tossed him inside. He crashed into a bulkhead and fell to his face. Attention on the deck, said a lazy, monotone voice. It was his navigator, Tanaka, who remained seated in his chair gazing down through glowing green spectacles. Tanaka wasnt the type to stand at attention for anyone. Give me a hand, Spade said, extending his arm upward. Tanaka clapped slowly, staring blankly through his green lenses. Funny, Spade said. Tanaka had the thin, weak body typical of humans from the low gravity planet of Paltros. His slender limbs were encased in mechanical prostheses that allowed him freedom of movement in the relatively higher gravity of this planet. Tanaka was eccentric and wasnt exactly the life of any party, but he had his talents. He was an information addict who would sit in a trance for days on end sifting through databases, files and technical documents. He knew more about every corner of the galaxy than anyone Spade had known. As a navigator, engineer and information technician, Tanaka was second to none. Spade was happy to see that Tanaka was still aboard and still alive. Spades cigar lay on the deck of the ship, still lit. He picked it up and popped it into his mouth and rose to his feet. Wheres the rest of my high-speed crew? Spade asked.
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Two massive humans lumbered into the cabin, crouched down in the confined space. The two big humans were almost as tall as Craaldans, and even more heavily muscled. We thought you were dead, said a hulk of a man. I aint the dying type, Spade said. The large mans name was Leonard Brute, and he was Spades copilot. Brute had a bald head and a long, black goatee that touched his chest. He was from the planet Meglos, which was a high gravity planet that humans had settled generations ago. The Megalans had adapted to the gravity of their planet by developing huge, muscular frames. Brutes companion was a Megalan female named Mingus, who was as big and muscular as Brute. She had a square jaw, but an otherwise attractive face, and long black hair. She was Spades crew chief. Mingus smiled broadly at Spade. She looked honestly surprised and relieved to see him. She rushed up to him and gave him a crushing bear hug. Oh, Jace, she said. We are so happy to see you. Brute pulled the two of them apart. He held Spade suspended a few inches from the floor with a tight grip from one of his enormous hands. Were not that happy, Brute growled. Brute dropped Spade to the deck. OK, Spade said. Listen up. Due to recent developments, were going to make a detour before we voyage back to the Outer Galaxy. Well be making a short stop at Naos. Spades crew groaned and then exchanged nervous glances.

11

Intellectualism

A cloaked little humanoid walked across the windswept tarmac to Spades ship. Craaldan guards followed behind him, pulling wheeled pallets piled high with metal crates and canisters. Spade reached out a hand to the tiny hooded figure inside the purple cloak. Im Captain Jace Spade. Pleased to meet you, Captain. I am Professor Mahlis. The little Noctish professor extended his tiny, thin hand to Spade and offered a limp grip. Two of his diminutive fingers bore rings with large gemstones. The professor was only four feet tall and thin, but he had a paunch of a belly that pressed outward against his cloak. He looked up at Spade with inquisitive pink eyes. Whiskers twitched under a pointy nose. Then a kindly smile crossed his face. Professor Mahlis stepped into the ship. In a quietly commanding manner, he instructed the towering Craaldans to be careful as they unloaded canisters and crates into the Red Wraths cargo bays. The professor turned to Spade. So, you are the fellow from Naos who is key to the success of the most important diplomatic mission in the galaxy. Negative, Spade said. Im the driver dropping you off on a lifeless rock before I jet back to the Outer Galaxy. Professor Mahlis removed his cloak and folded it neatly in his arms. The little humanoid wore a wrinkled white shirt, dark pants and scuffed shoes. His ears were large and coated with fuzz, but were mostly hidden under the shaggy black and gray hair on his head that connected around to his white beard and to the white whiskers under his nose. He was fuzzy
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for sure, but if it wasnt for his tiny stature, he might almost be mistaken for human. Your lifeless rock has become the focal point of a looming conflict between the two most powerful empires in the galaxy, the professor said. If our mission is successful, we will have averted a galactic cataclysm of such destructive force as to swallow worlds and reduce civilizations to ash. I trust you are up to the task, my good fellow. You must be the trusting type, Spade said. I trust you to understand the urgency of our mission, the professor said. We must be off. There is not a moment to spare. Spade turned to leave the cabin for the cockpit. Captain Spade, Professor Mahlis said. The human species and the Noctish have been separated by cosmic expanses of space and time, but we have a few things in common. Your species and the Noctish have both lost our home worlds to the treachery of more war-like species. Do not think we are strangers without common ground. We can discuss this once we are on our way. The professor shooed Spade away and situated himself for an immediate departure. Spades interceptor soon blasted off. The ship accelerated against the gravitational grip of the planet Goff and then hurtled away through interstellar space. Brute sat in the cockpit next to Spade. Dammit, Spade, the big man grumbled. You swore our next voyage was to Meglos. Weve chased the ghost of your Dr. Zander through the Inner Galaxy one close call too many. Its out of my hands now, Leonard, Spade said. Brute smashed his oversized fist on the control panel. I say we throw that little Noctish rat overboard and jet straight for Meglos. Negative, Spade said. We deliver our Noctish friend to Naos. Then we voyage to Meglos.
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This is my last voyage with you, Spade, one way or another. Brute unhooked himself from his chair and floated upward in the zero gravity. He pulled his large bulk out of the cockpit. Spade sat alone and gazed into the black void. Even with all the power and speed of his ship, these interstellar voyages were interminable. There was too much time to think. He knew somewhere out there in the emptiness of space Dr. Zander was still alive. Every last soul in Zander City had been killed off in the Diocon assault, but for some reason the Diocons had spared the doctors life and had carried him away. At the time of the attack, Spade had been in the Red Wrath patrolling the perimeter of the Roga System. The Diocons had appeared without warning and had caught the tiny human colony on Naos by surprise. Somehow, a small Diocon force had landed on Naos, evading all patrols, as well as the moons carefully constructed early warning system. Diocon soldiers had razed Zander City and killed its 85,000 inhabitants, who had time only to mount a token resistance. Spade had engaged a few Diocon fighters out on the Roga perimeter before losing his wingman and narrowly escaping with his life. He had observed the destruction of Naos from afar. Years later, he had heard rumors that Dr. Zander had survived the attack and had been set free by the Diocons. But that had been decades ago. Captain Spade? a voice said over the intercom. It was Professor Mahlis. Go ahead, Spade said. May I have a moment of your time? Ill be right down.

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Spade unhooked himself from his seat and pulled himself out of the cockpit. The professor reminded Spade of Dr. Zander in some ways. Spade recalled the large collection of Noctish literature that Dr. Zander had kept in his library. The doctor possessed actual hard copies of ancient Noctish texts. But Spade had never given much thought to those old books at the time. Spade floated weightlessly down a transport tube to the galley where he found Professor Mahlis sitting alone before a chessboard. The professor examined with curiosity the pieces on the magnetic board. Spade pulled himself in the zero gravity through the galley and sat across from the professor. A human game? the professor asked. Yes, Spade said. Ancient humans played it on Earth our home world. Spade explained the rules of the game to the professor. Your move, Professor Mahlis said. Spade moved a pawn. Whats the intel on Naos? he asked. All eyes in the galaxy are on Naos, the professor replied. Your moon has become a trip wire set to explode. Unfortunately, Dr. Zander had no way of knowing that he had set up his little human utopia in what would become a fault line between two expanding galactic superpowers. As they moved their chess pieces, Professor Mahlis explained how Zander City had become an outpost for a Diocon brigade, and how a Craaldan expeditionary fleet had entered the Roga System unaware of the Diocon presence, and that the two great militaries blundered into a firefight. The Craaldans had landed two brigades on Naos before the Diocons brought a missile defense shield online. Now the Craaldan brigades were dug in and pinned down on the

15

surface awaiting reinforcements while their fleet hovered outside the range of the Diocon nuclear umbrella. It is a very precarious situation, Professor Mahlis continued. He carefully placed a knight in the center of the board. The Diocon and Craaldan empires have been avoiding their inevitable face-off for ages, while they have busily consolidated their territories, turning the focus of their conquests to the Outer Galaxy. At this point in time, they are evenly matched and neither would have a decisive advantage if a war between them were to erupt. The outcome of such a conflict would be uncertain, except in the scale of its destruction. We sit at the precipice of total war because a small fleet stupidly stumbled into an ambush that should have never been set. Yet, the two rivals are so martial in outlook that neither will back down, and a rapid escalation to apocalypse appears inevitable. Spade moved a bishop. However, Captain, if you are able to get me to Naos, past enemy lines and into the Diocon command and control center, I believe I can convince their commander to allow the Craaldan brigades safe passage off Naos. I think their commander may see the logic in holding off the day of judgment until another era. Sounds like a suicide mission to me, Spade said. Pessimism serves no purpose now, Captain Spade. What do you care if the Craaldans and the Diocons go to war? Spade asked. The Noctish seek an end to conflict in the galaxy. We believe it is our purpose to bring about a halcyon age when all sentient beings unite under one benevolent rule. With our efforts, we hope to bring peace to the galaxy. Spade laughed. Good luck with that. Do not doubt the Noctish, Captain. One day the galaxy will be politically unified. It is inevitable.
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Ive found that whenever someone speaks of inevitabilities, theyre trying to put one over on me, Spade said. The Noctish are a people of peace. We will not stop striving for peace until the horrors of war are eradicated from the galaxy. A people of peace wouldnt ally themselves with the Craaldans, Spade said. The professor appeared slightly agitated. It may be beyond your ability to comprehend, but over the eons we Noctish have gained a great deal of understanding of the workings of the universe. A long journey often takes unexpected turns. Many hardships must be endured before a distant and difficult destination is reached. In the far off future, you humans may develop the wisdom to appreciate the accomplishments and sufferings of the Noctish. How are you going to reason with the Diocons? Spade asked. Theyre a bunch of robots. Ah. Your organic biases cloud your perceptions. The Diocons happen to be a sophisticated civilization, quite selfaware, and capable of subtle and nuanced reasoning. At times, I have found them to be pleasant partners in conversation. They are cold-blooded killers, Spade said. Professor Mahlis moved a chess piece. Quite true. But remember, Captain Spade, we have been presented the opportunity to stop a wider war under the wake of which billions of peace-loving peoples could be torn asunder. I am certain that if I am able to interface with the Diocon command and control system I can convince it not to escalate hostilities. I dont know, professor, Spade said. He slid his queen across the chessboard. Im only human, but Ive got you outmaneuvered. Check.

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The professors whiskers twitched. There is much to be said for being only human. Professor Mahlis lifted a knight from the board with his slender, ringed fingers. However, we Noctish had been around the galaxy a time or two long before you humans discovered bipedalism. Mahlis placed the knight on the board. He grinned and clapped his tiny hands. Checkmate.

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Tanaka

Professor Mahlis floated upward from his seat and across the galley and then disappeared down a transport tube. Spade sat alone at the chessboard. He groaned and leaned back in the chair and attempted to sit comfortably. Every muscle, bone and joint ached from the torture session he had so recently endured on Goff. He tried to rub the pain from his bones. His thoughts returned to Naos. The little barren moon orbited around the giant planet of Roga, for which the system was named. Roga was a swirling mass of green, red and yellow gas, and had served as the backdrop to his life on Naos. Spade had often spent hours staring upward at the churning, roiling cloud formations that raced across the giant face of Roga. As a young man, he often dove his interceptor down into the gas clouds, jetting through tremendous lighting storms before hurtling upward against the intense gravity field that attempted to pull him into the abyss. Naos held so many good memories for himuntil his life there ended in a storm of metal and fire. He did not want to go back. Two small green lights flickered to life in a dark corner of the galley. Tanaka, Spade said, still rubbing his aching calf. I didnt see you back there. Tanakas frail figure was illuminated by the glowing green light from his eyepieces. His legs were crossed as he sat motionless in a narrow corner. What are you doing back there? Reading knowledge that you wouldnt understand, Tanaka answered.
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What kind of knowledge? Spade asked. History, Tanaka answered. I hacked into a Craaldan database and downloaded enough info, it will take me eons to sift through. Good for you. Tanaka was silent for a moment. Ive been watching your Professor Mahlis, he said. He seems like a good little guy, Spade said. I dont see how hes going to stop a war, but maybe he knows something we dont. But then, youve never been mistaken for being the smartest human in the galaxy, Captain Spade, Tanaka said. I trust him, Spade said. Tanaka suddenly became excited, lifting and waving his hands. Those psycho Craaldans have files a mile deep on these so-called peace-loving Noctish, he blurted. Then he fell silent for another moment. Interesting combination, Tanaka contemplated calmly, the Craaldans and the Noctish. No doubt, Spade said. All is not what it seems, Tanaka said. Tanaka explained in his condescending manner what he had just learned from the vast Craaldan database that he had gained access toabout how the cultures of the Noctish and the Craaldans intertwined in a symbiotic relationship that was destructive to all those who came into contact with them. At one time countless epochs ago, the Craaldans had been one of many great powers in the Inner Galaxy, and legendary for their martial prowess. The sheer size of their war machine necessitated rigid regimentation. This was their weakness. Once their adversaries understood Craaldan standard operating procedures, effective defenses could be mounted. Tanaka explained across the galley how at one point during a period of chaotic warfare in the Inner Galaxy, the Craaldan
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Empire came close to annihilation in the face of a powerful alliance. Noctish advisers stepped in and offered the Craaldans intelligence on their adversaries. The intel from the Noctish allowed the mighty Craaldan war machine to gain the upper hand, and to eventually crush its foes in a series of stunning surprise attacks that turned the tide of war. The Craaldans conquered their way to dominance with guidance from the Noctish, Tanaka said. The Craaldans owe their empire to them? Spade asked. Obviously, Tanaka answered. Whats in it for the Noctish? Spade asked. The Noctish think of themselves as scholars and diplomats. But in reality they are shrewd traders who have been travelling the galaxy for millions of years buying and selling anything they find of value. In some accounts, they are described as obsequious sycophants in the face of power, while treacherous and ruthless to their rivals. When the Craaldans were up against a wall, the Noctish offered them a deal. For every civilization they helped the Craaldans destroy, the Noctish could keep the loot. Spade turned this over in his mind for a moment. What do you think the professor is up to on Naos? From what I gather, Professor Mahlis was not being entirely honest about the current situation on your moon, Tanaka said. The Craaldans are in an advantageous position. They have managed to consolidate their recent gains and their army and fleet are far stronger than the Diocon presence. The Diocon Empire is occupied with ongoing rebellions on several planets, which are tying up a significant portion of its forces. In the zero gravity of space, Tanaka was no longer wearing the mechanical prostheses that aided his movement back on Goff. He lifted his frail body from his seat and adeptly moved spiderlike across the galley.
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Tanaka sat across from Spade and slid the chessboard aside. He lit up a map on the table that displayed this sector of the galaxy. Naos is here, Tanaka said. If the Craaldans seize it, they will have a foothold in the Roga System from which they can divide the Diocon Empire from all these sectors here. If the Craaldans strike hard, as is their nature, they can cut off the Diocon logistics chain. The Roga System serves as an ideal base for further Craaldan attacks, and the odds are good that these sectors can be broken free from Diocon control. The Craaldans could then collapse the Diocon domination of huge swathes of the Inner Galaxy. It looks to me that if the Craaldans are able to take and hold Naos, theyll have the Diocons on the run. But if Professor Mahlis is successful in his peace mission, the Diocons keep Naos, Spade said. Tanaka rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger and studied the map through his green lenses. The Craaldans are dependent on the Noctish for intel, Tanaka said. It appears the professor has convinced the Craaldan commanders that the Diocons are more powerful than they truly are, and that a war now would be catastrophic. Since Noctish intel has gotten them this far, they are taking the professors word for it. What is the professor up to? Spade asked, studying the map. Hmm. Tanaka looked down at the map through the green glow of his lenses. I wonder.

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Mingus

Spade pulled himself onto his bunk. His joints ached. Intermittent jolts of pain shot through his nerve endings as his body attempted to recover from the severe torture session the Craaldans had inflicted on him. One thing Spade knew, though. Dr. Zander had designed him to be tough. Old Dr. Zander had only wanted one thing from this lifea safe place far from the conflicts that raged through the galaxya place where he could rebuild a free human society before the last of the human species had died off. On Naos, the doctor believed he had found that place. He had landed alone on the barren moon. In the laboratory on his ship, he had used his own DNA to create new humans. He grew fetuses in iron wombs pieced together from scrap and spare parts. To ensure genetic diversity, he had mixed his own genetics with DNA from other biological material that he had scraped up to form a meager DNA bank that he had amassed and preserved over the eons through countless battles, shipwrecks and radiation storms. On Naos, Dr. Zander slowly produced and raised three generations of humans. Those humans had gone on to grow families, and eventually a thriving city took shape on his faraway moon in an uncharted sector. Spade had no mother, but instead had been birthed from one of the iron wombs on Dr. Zanders ship. The doctor had carefully selected Spades genes for steady hands, coolness under fire and the quick reflexes of a fighter pilot. Ninety-four percent of Spades DNA came from Dr. Zander, but the doctor had thrown into the mix assorted
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genes from his DNA bank. The remaining 6 percent was a jumble of genes spliced together from genetic strands taken from a dead Kailek sergeant, a German shepherd and a nematode that the doctor had collected from the Vomis asteroid out on the perimeter of the Roga System. Spade didnt like to think about the fact that one of his ancestors was a small, legless creature without a brain that burrowed through rock and congregated during mating season in large pulsating, gelatinous clots. Dr. Zander had explained to him that the DNA from the Vomis nematode was the reason for his high tolerance for pain and his ability to quickly heal from injury; but still, Spade never brought up his ancestry in polite company. Spade knew nothing about the Kailek sergeant other than that the Kailek civilization had long ceased to exist. Dr. Zander had apparently found the sergeants corpse drifting through space, and never told Spade any more than that. Capt. Casey, a human pilot Spade had once had a relationship with, said the source of his loyalty to Dr. Zanderand his dogged determination to find himcame from his canine DNA. Of course, Capt. Casey also said that this was also the source of his hound-like nature when it came to women. A knock on his door broke his reverie and returned him to wakefulness. Whos there? Spade asked. The door slid open and Mingus pulled her oversized frame into his cabin. May I come in, Jace? she asked. He put his eye patch back on. Youre already in, he answered. She closed the door behind her. We need to talk. Mingus was so large and meaty that her bulk filled nearly all the cabin. Her long, black ponytail floated upward and pressed against the ceiling.
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Whats on your mind? Spade asked. Its Leonard. Ive never seen him this wayI take that back. I have seen him this way. Its the way he gets right before he loses control and really hurts someone. Ill talk to him, Spade said. Whatever happens on the Naos mission, I will make sure that the crew remains out of harms way and behind enemy lines. Naos will be a brief stop before the ship is voyaging back to Meglos. I promise. Its not the Naos voyage that hes angry about, she said. Mingus had pulled her black hair back in a pony tail to keep it manageable in the zero gravity, but it snaked around the ceiling and down the wall with every movement of her large head. She pulled herself down onto the bunk and sat next Spade. Why is he angry? Spade asked. Hes jealous. He sees the way we look at each other, Jace. It drives him into a rage. The way we look at each other? Its no use, I cant fight it any longer! Mingus threw herself onto him, kissing him hard on the mouth. Oh, Jace! I was so frightened that you had been killed. I didnt sleep for three days. She held him so tightly that he couldnt breathe. He feared his ribs would crack inside the bulging mass of her arms. Not so tight, princess, he gasped. She looked deeply into his eyes. Her blue eyes were red and teary. Where is Leonard? Spade asked. Hell kill us both if he finds you in here. Dont worry, she said. I slipped a trank in his water bottle. Hell be in a coma for ages. Mingus kissed Spade hard again. He felt as if his face were being sucked into the flesh of her oversized lips.

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Mingus quickly stripped off her boots, her pullover and her black trousers. She was now naked in his bunk. Her big biceps twitched and flexed. Her thighs were as wide as Spades torso, and her powerful shoulders looked strong enough to lift a Craaldan battle tank on a planet with greater than moderate gravity levels. She was large, but Mingus was definitely female. Her long black ponytail was silky smooth as it brushed over his arm and writhed around onto his back. She clutched Spades hands and pressed them into her massive bosom. Oh, Jace, she said. It had been so long since Spade had seen another human female. All the time together on his ship, just the four of them voyaging through the emptiness of space, he had never thought he had looked at Mingus in a romantic manner. Perhaps he had been looking at her as something more than just a crew member. Oh, what the hell, he said. Spade unzipped his flight suit and pulled off his shirt. He was still in his undershorts when Mingus threw herself at him and he was quickly buried under mounds of rippling muscle. Spade thrust her upward with his hands, which was not difficult in zero gravity. He then flipped her over and mounted her. The door to the cabin flung open with a crash and Brutes massive frame filled the tight doorway. Dammit, Spade! Brute bellowed. You are a dead man! Oversized hands, giant arms and bulging muscles surged through the narrow opening. Brutes huge hand gripped Spade by the neck and then flung him hard against the wall. The wind was knocked out of him. He gasped for air. Stop, Leonard! Mingus roared. She threw her large fist at him, catching him in the nose and staggering him backward into the doorway.
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Spade kicked off the wall and shot forward like a diver between Brutes legs, and then out into the transport tube. Spade then scrambled up the tube as fast as he could pull himself. Come back here, Spade! Brute yelled. He clambered up the tube in pursuit. As Spade emerged into the galley, Brute grabbed him by the ankle. Spade kicked his heel into Brutes face, but this only angered the big man. He flung Spade hard into a bulkhead. Spade felt as though his skull had cracked open. He struggled to regain his bearings, only to see a giant fist barreling toward his chest. The force of the blow was so strong that Spade thought for sure several of his internal organs had ruptured. Stop this madness! Professor Mahlis screamed. Stop this madness now! Brute pulled back his fist and launched it into Spades face, and with a crack, immediately knocked Spade into unconsciousness.

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The Craaldan Fleet

Spade emerged from blackness and found himself alone in his cabin lying in his bunk. His torso and head were wrapped in bandages. He sat up and groaned. The pain from the torture session on Goff was still there, now compounded by aching ribs and a pounding headache. He opened a desk drawer and pulled out his M-2 handgun, checking to see if it was still loaded, which it was. He pulled his 8-inch combat knife from the drawer and slid it into its slot on the side of his thigh. He opened his cabin door and looked up and down the empty transport tube with his M-2 at the ready. He pulled himself up to the galley, which was empty. He then pulled himself up to the cockpit and poked his head inside. Brute was at the controls. Mingus, Tanaka and Professor Mahlis sat next to him staring intently forward into space. The Red Wrath was coasting through a vast assemblage of Craaldan warships. Destroyers, cruisers, troop transports and fighters seemed to stretch endlessly across the black void of space. Spade recognized the ships as the Craaldan 17th Expeditionary Fleet, much feared in this sector of the galaxy for its ability to destroy planets or overrun them with endless numbers of fearsome Craaldan infantry. Spade saw a familiar sight. The fleet was orbiting the red, green and yellow planet of Roga. Brute turned his head and looked up at Spade. Well, well, he said. Our trustworthy captain is awake from his beauty sleep.
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There is the command ship, Mr. Brute, Professor Mahlis said. Contact it for further instructions. Roger, Brute said. Mingus was looking up at Spade. She reached out and took his hand. How are you feeling? she asked. Ive been worse, he said. Tanaka shook his head slowly and disapprovingly; then returned his attention outside to the Craaldan fleet. Captain Spade, may I have a word with you in private? Professor Mahlis asked. Yeah, OK, Spade answered. He holstered his M-2. The professor and Spade went together into the galley. You and I will be boarding the 17th Fleet command ship, the professor said. I need to brief General Seb before we land on Naos. You will carry the crate labeled number six that is in cargo bay two. I will give you further instructions on who you will deliver it to once aboard the command ship. Do you understand? Whats going on with Brute? Spade asked. Is he still going to kill me? Professor Mahlis waved his hand as if shooing the matter away. Please proceed to cargo bay two and retrieve crate number six. Will you do that for me? OK, Spade said, but first tell me what the situation is with Brute. I spoke with Leonard and he decided that his dispute with you is over. Its over? Spade asked. Yes. He came to see that his relationship with Pulchritunia was dysfunctional and that it was best for all parties to move on with their lives. Pulchritunia? Yes. Miss Pulchritunia Mingus, the professor said. She has quite the crush on you, Captain.
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Minguss first name is Pulchritunia? Yes. You should know these things about your own crew. Ive never known Brute to be the type to forgive and forget, Spade said. Captain Spade, I am about to attempt to negotiate a peace between the two most powerful and warlike empires in the galaxy. Resolving a human love triangle is trivial in comparison, and quite frankly, the least of our concerns. Now go to the cargo bay and retrieve the crate as per my instructions. We are pressed for time. Spade entered the cargo bay and lifted the metal crate, steering it up the transport tube in the zero gravity. Professor Mahlis waited for him impatiently in the galley. Hurry, hurry. We must hurry along. Spade unlocked the inner hatch to the decompression chamber. He pushed open the outer hatch to see the cavernous docking bay of the command ship for the 17th Fleet, in which Brute had just landed the ship. Two armed Craaldan soldiers were standing on the deck, their magnetic boots holding them down in the zero gravity. One wore the silver rank of a lieutenant and the other wore the bars of a Craaldan sergeant first class. Craaldan soldiers hovered throughout the docking bay, maneuvering in the weightlessness with small air jets attached to their body armor. They supervised work crews of machines and enslaved species that were making minor repairs to the hulls of docked spacecraft. Spade thought he spotted a human or two in the work crews. Professor Mahlis pulled himself from the hatch and the two Craaldan soldiers clicked their heels and saluted. The lieutenant addressed Professor Mahlis in the sharp, gravelly tones of the Craaldan language. The professor responded. Spade gathered that orders were being given.
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General Seb awaits, the professor said. The sergeant here will escort you to storage where your delivery will be sequestered until further notice, Mahlis said. Then he will return you to me in General Sebs control room. Roger that, Spade said. The lieutenant walked off guiding Mahlis by the arm. The sergeant grabbed Spade by the back of his flight suit and pulled him along. Spade held onto the metal crate and tried to keep it from banging against the bulkheads. They arrived at an armory. The sergeant barked out orders to a tiny clerk, who took the crate and placed it into a storage locker in the armory behind her. The clerk was a female of some conquered species. She was scaly, ashen and emaciated, but moved quickly without effort in the zero gravity. She pushed Spades head into a device that quickly scanned his eyeball. She tried to remove his eye patch. I only have one eye, Spade said, pointing to his eye patch. The clerk typed into a keyboard and then a computer translator said, To retrieve your belongings, you will need to return with the same eyeball that was scanned. Roger that, Spade said. The Craaldan sergeant pulled Spade onto a transport car and they sped through a maze of corridors until arriving at the generals control room. The sergeant and Spade entered the room. General Seb and Professor Mahlis were seated across a small round table in the dark room. The only light in the darkness was a soft glow emanating upward from the table. The sergeant snapped to attention and saluted. The general barked an order without looking up, which Spade guessed translated to, At ease. General Seb was an enormous Craaldan whose gray skin looked as if it had the hardness of stone. The big general

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turned his yellow eyes to Spade, and then angrily addressed the Craaldan sergeant. Spade reached into a pocket and pulled out his language translator and set it to Craaldan. He placed the device on his ear. You bring an unauthorized species into my command room, Sergeant? General Seb said. This is a serious breach of protocol. Sir, I was following orders from the Noctish! the sergeant said, standing stiffly at attention. It is okay, General, Professor Mahlis said. Captain Spade was vetted on Goff before he accepted this mission. A human survived vetting? the general asked. The captain has a primitive survival instinct that is quite robust, Professor Mahlis said. Sergeant, I want all movements of this human tracked and reported to Goff higher command. Confirm that this human was vetted. Do you copy? Yes, sir. That is all, Sergeant, General Seb said. Dismissed. The sergeant saluted and left the room. Your distrust is disconcerting, Mahlis said. You know the procedure, professor, the general said. And we must never stray from procedure, isnt that right, General? Professor Mahlis said. Captain Spade, please have a seat. Spade took a seat in the dark behind the professor.

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Systems of a System

General Seb looked like a typical Craaldan soldier, only far larger. On one leg was strapped the traditional executioner blade that was symbolic of the authority of a Craaldan officer. To Spade, the contrast between the giant, armored general and the tiny professor was jarring, yet Professor Mahlis showed no sign of being intimidated, and spoke to General Seb as an equal. It goes against doctrine to withdraw from an engagement when we have superior numbers, the general said. We havent reached that point yet, General, the professor said. Now please, the battle update, if you will. A representation of the Naos surface appeared on the table. Spade recognized the landscape as Zanders Plain. Two jagged mountain rangesthe Bleak Range to the east and the Craggy Mountains to the westwere separated by a flat expanse of black rock and ice about 200 kilometers across. Running north to south and bisecting the plain was a thin ribbon of glowing red lava, known as the Naos Rift. The river of lava was about 100 meters wide at most points and stretched north to south from horizon to horizon. The two Craaldan brigades had dug into fighting positions where the plain met the Bleak Range. The mountains dropped abruptly like a black wall of stone. The center of gravity for the Craaldan defense was a half-bowl ingression into the mountains guarded by a battalion that faced across the plain toward the main enemy positions. Across the plain, the Diocon brigade had dug into defensive positions in the ruins of Zander City, which was situated in the foothills of the Craggy Mountains. The glowing Naos Rift marked the border between the two opposing forces.
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The Diocons have improved the effectiveness of their missile shield, General Seb said. The fleet suffered severe losses once the shield came online. We underestimated its range. The general explained that the Diocons were intermittently launching nukes at the fleet whenever it rounded the Roga orbit and came into sight of the Naos moon. To defend against the nukes, the Craaldans had emplaced a mine field 300 kilometers above Naos. When the missiles screamed upward from the Naos surface, the mines detonated and the nukes exploded in great blinding flashes before the missiles could reach the fleet. After each explosion, Craaldan mine layers zoomed in to reseed the fields before the next barrage of missiles could launch. And what would happen if a missile got through the field? the professor asked. A direct hit would render the fleet combat ineffective, General Seb answered. That is why we keep our distance. Why not attack now with your brigades on the surface and finish them? the professor asked. You know as well as I that a three to one force ratio is standard for an attack. Until we land another brigade, an attack remains out of the question. That is, unless you are withholding intel that we are unaware of? No, no. Of course you are correct, General. The odds of success for an attack on a dug-in enemy is minimal with a two to one force ratio. Even at three to one, success is not assured. I know your rigid doctrine as well as you do and that you are loath to deviate from it. Tell me, how do you plan to land your reinforcements? At present, we await the jammer squadron, the general said. Once the jammers join the fleet, we will be able to breach their missile defenses and land as many as five

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additional brigades on the surface. Then victory will be certain. Any victory now would be Pyrrhic, General, Mahlis said. It would ignite the wider war with the Diocon Empire that we have been carefully avoiding for so long. So be it. No, the professor said. Your success will be determined by the outcome of my diplomatic mission. If I am able to convince the Diocons to allow your brigades on the surface safe passage to your fleet, then war can be avoided. Only then will this insanity cease, and you can turn the attention of your fleet to less mutually suicidal endeavors. You underestimate our chances against the Diocons, General Seb said. The little professor slammed his tiny fist on the table. And you underestimate the value of the intelligence the Noctish have provided the Craaldan Empire over the eons! The general crossed his arms over his broad chest. His yellow eyes looked down coldly behind his gray, scabrous face. The Noctish have been invaluable, he said. How do we get to the surface? Professor Mahlis asked. A narrow window of opportunity opens after each nuke volley, the general said. We were infiltrating small ships through the Diocon defenses by speeding for the surface immediately following the electromagnetic pulse from a nuke blast. But the enemy soon caught on, and began picking off our ships as we came into range of their laser cannons. We ceased attempting to infiltrate in this manner, and the Diocons now believe they have deterred our landings. To get you to the surface, we will wait for the next nuke blast. Then your human captain can dash for the surface within a formation of remotely piloted decoys. If you are lucky, their lasers will pick off the decoys and not you. Sounds risky if you ask me, Spade said.
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The generals cold gaze turned to Spade. Spade felt the full weight of his iron stare. Dont expect to live forever, human, the general said. Professor Mahlis unhooked himself from his chair and pulled himself to Spade, grabbing onto Spades arm. Until next time, General, the professor said. He turned to Spade. Take me to your ship. Spade pulled himself along a rail and out of the generals control room, with the professor clinging to his back. They boarded a transport car and then zipped through the ships narrow corridors. What was in the crate? Spade asked. The crate? the professor asked. The crate I signed into storage, Spade said. Whats in it? Nothing you will miss, the professor said. If I die on Naos, you wont be able to retrieve it. That is true, the professor said. True, indeed.

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Do or Die

The Red Wrath floated inside a V-formation of eight decoy spacecraft. Spade sat at the controls of his interceptor peering out at dark Naos. The moon was a black dot in front of the roiling clouds of enormous Roga. The decoy spacecraft looked predatory as they floated in formation in front of the Red Wrath. They were nothing more than unmanned engines built for speed and armed to the toothbut merely targets on this mission meant to misdirect enemy fire. The entire crew was in the cockpit looking out at the little moon. Spade found it hard to concentrate. He had always found the swirling colors of Roga mesmerizing, and it had been ages since he had gazed upon them. I dont like this, Brute said. I know, Spade said. It sucks. Pessimism serves no purpose now, the professor said. Think only happy thoughts. Tanaka let out a sarcastic laugh. You know what would make me happy, professor? Brute asked. If we aborted this fools errand and bugged the hell out of here. I say let the Craaldans and the Diocons fight it out, and if the two of them kill each other off, the universe will be a better place for it. That would make me happy on the inside, Tanaka said. You humans do not comprehend the meaning of what you speak, the professor said testily. But this is expected from creatures on the lower end of the evolutionary ladder. Those arent happy thoughts, professor, Mingus said.

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Brute. Mingus, Spade said. I want you two down in the engine room for damage control until we get to the surface. Take the professor with you. Roger, they said. Brute grabbed the professor by the back of his neck and pulled him from the cockpit. Spade contemplated calling off the mission. It was too risky. If the two empires got into a suicidal war, it would serve them right for all the suffering and pain they had inflicted on the galaxy. Tanaka completed a diagnostic check while monitoring communications traffic. All systems good to go, he said. Roger that, Spade said. These Craaldans live only for war, Spade thought. They had no use for comfort, luxury or civilization. They had turned over to the Noctish all the wealth of the civilizations they had smashed, only for actionable nuggets of intel that served their lust for victory. Battle and conquest was all the Craaldans wanted from life. When they conquered a world, they enslaved any survivors and placed them in work camps or on labor teams and then plundered the planets resources to feed their insatiable war machine. Within a few years, even the hardiest survivor of a Craaldan conquest would be reduced to an empty shell and would soon succumb under the heavy boot of Craaldan oppression. The Diocons, on the other hand, had no need for slaves. They fought wars of annihilation. Their aim whenever they encountered resistance was to eradicate every living thing. They would then occupy whatever world they had leveled only if it had strategic value or critical resources for the construction of armaments. Where the proper resources were present, the Diocons built huge automated factories that churned out weaponry, ships and soldiers to expand their capacity for the delivery of death.

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These two empires had been rampaging across the Inner Galaxy for eons. Spade would feel no sorrow if both Craaldan and Diocon were to destroy themselves and disappear forever from the galaxy. But now here he was with his crew caught between these two agents of destruction. Here they come, Tanaka said. A display panel tracked the blistering ascent of six missiles from the Naos surface. The missiles are entering the mine field, Tanaka said. Hold on. The black void of space flashed white. A blinding light flooded the cockpit. The flashes flickered and nuclear fireballs expanded in the vacuum above Naos. The first violent shock wave shook the shipthen five more in rapid and jarring succession. Go, go, go! Tanaka yelled. Spade fired the engines and the Red Wrath shot forward in unison with the decoy formation. They jetted for the fireballs above Naos. At the last second, the formation veered away and hurtled downward toward the Naos surface. The rugged, black topography of the moon came into sharp focus. Spade had seen these same rock formations and canyons countless times and knew them better than anyone. Were coming into range of their cannons, Tanaka said. Theyre not picking us up, Spade said. The electromagnetic pulse blinded them. The decoy ship in front of the Red Wrath erupted in an explosion of metal. Kinetic laser, Tanaka said. Theyve found their range. These damn decoys are slowing us down, Spade said. Im going to punch through. Dont do it, fool, Tanaka said. If were out front, well be an easy target.
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Spade pulled the ship behind a decoy. In a flash, three decoys disintegrated, hit by rapid pulses from kinetic laser cannons. Spade shot the ship through the debris. Were not going to make it! Tanaka yelled. Instantaneous pulses pulverized the remaining decoys in flashes of exploding metal. Spade shoved forward on the stick and dove straight for the surface. Theyve got a lock! Tanaka yelled. This is it! The moons jagged black surface rushed up toward them. Tanaka looked over at Spade through his glowing green lenses. The tendons and veins in his skinny neck were tense and pulsating. I know Ive been insolent and inconsiderate! Tanaka yelled. He reached over and gripped Spades forearm, digging his bony fingertips into the muscle. But I always loved you, Spade, you one eyed-bastard! Spade yanked back on the stick, struggling to remain conscious under the weight of immense g-forces. The interceptor skimmed low over the Naos surface, then zoomed over jagged peaks before diving for cover behind them. Spade sighted a Craaldan reserve tank company encamped in a narrow valley below. He circled low over the tanks. The Red Wrath was now safely behind the mountain ridge and concealed from the Diocon laser cannons. He zoomed into a flat area and then opened his landing gear. Now, that is what I call flying! Spade said. No, they held their fire, Tanaka said. I dont know why, but they did. Spade set the interceptor down on the black Naos surface inside the Craaldan camp. He looked over at Tanaka. Did you say you love me?
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Planet of Glass

Craaldan infantry moved in around the ship outside on the atmosphere-less surface. The soldiers were equipped with fully contained mechanized body armor, and armed with the CX-649 weapon system. Their armor was shiny black, with yellow coloring at the joints. Their CX-649 assault weapons were held in their armored hands or slung around onto their backs. Tanaka was agitated. Disregard what I said, he said. I was delirious. When you said love, did you mean romantic love, or in a more manly camaraderie-type sense? Spade asked. Dammit, Spade, you idiot, Tanaka blurted. I was in a delirium because I thought you had gotten us all killed! I dont love you as a man or anyway else! Now youre breaking my heart, Spade said. Tanaka climbed out of the cockpit. Spade followed him. The crew watched through portholes as the Craaldan soldiers loaded gear into the Red Wraths decompression chamber. Craaldans were already tall, but inside their mech armor, they stood well over ten feet. Mingus and Brute opened the air lock and pulled the Craaldan gear into the galley. Professor Mahlis instructed the two Megalans to unload two mech armor suits that were packed into a container. Spade walked into the galley and lit up a cigar. What ya got there, professor? This one is yours and this one is mine, the professor said. Put it on, Captain. We havent much time. I aint leaving the ship, Spade said. Our agreement was that I drop you off.
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That was not the agreement, the professor said. You are to come with me. I need your knowledge of the terrain in order to complete my mission. Spade looked down at the little professor, and for a moment contemplated stomping him under his boot. I need your help, Captain Spade, the professor said. Please get ready. Youll be safely aboard your ship in five hours, no more. Five hours is a long time, Spade said. You and your crew will be compensated for your assistance, the professor said. I only need you for a moment. Then your crew will be safely speeding back to the Outer Galaxy in no time. Spade shook his head and stubbed his cigar on a bulkhead. He slid his arms and legs into the black, metallic armor, which mechanically clasped around his torso with a clang. Inside the mech armor, he now stood taller than Mingus and Brute, who, along with Tanaka, watched him curiously. I dont know if I like the new look, Mingus said. Its frightening. Brute is in command, Spade said. If Im not back in five hours, scram for Meglos. Copy? Roger that, Brute said. Make sure he waits five hours, Mingus, Spade said. Mingus walked up to him and wrapped her beefy arms around his armored torso. Inside the mech armor, this was the first time Spade stood taller than her. Be careful out there, OK? Mingus said Well be worried sick until youre back safely on board. We? Tanaka scoffed. Hey, Tanaka. Spade winked at him. I love you, too. Tanaka stared blankly at him through his green lenses. Now that they had landed, Tanaka again wore the mechanical prostheses that assisted his movement.
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Your mother is a Vomis nematode, Tanaka said. Hey, what do you know about Vomis nematodes? Spade asked. Tanaka let out Hmmph, and turned and walked out of the galley. In the mech armor, Professor Mahlis stood nine feet tall. But without his helmet, he looked like a giant pinhead. He put on the helmet. The yellow faceplate clamped shut. The little professor, now completely encased in armor, looked as formidable as any Craaldan infantry soldier. He lifted from the container a CX-649 weapon system with an attached grenade launcher. Without the mech armor, the CX649 was as large as Mahlis, but now inside the armor the little humanoid handled it with skill. Spade put on his helmet, and the faceplate clamped shut. He felt sharp stings of pain as tubes plunged into his skin and into the back of his skull, burrowing into veins and nerve endings. Suddenly, he was no longer breathing through his nose or mouth. Oxygen was being injected directly into his blood stream, as was a chemical solution that fueled his cells. Spade was no longer using his eye for vision. Instead, a 360degree visual representation of the outside environment was being downloaded directly into his cortex. He was receiving several visual feeds, not only from the sensors on his mech armor, but from various points around Naos, which allowed for an expansive situational awareness of the lunar surface. Information on weapons systems, armored vehicles, and the names, ranks and specialties of infantry troops scrolled across his visual interface. Information from Craaldan databases was seamlessly translated for his brain from the Craaldan base language. Spade reached down and grabbed the second CX-649 weapon system in the container. He was surprised at his ease of movement while wearing such a massive amount of armor.
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He felt that his range of motion had increased dramatically. His senses felt sharper and more acute, heightening his sensory awareness. The mech armor made motion on this moon feel as simple as a walk in the park on any Earth-like planet. Carry this canister for me, would you? the professor said. The request was transmitted directly into Spades cortex. The professor handed Spade an oblong chrome-colored canister, which Spade slid into a carrying module on his thigh. Lets move out, shall we? the professor said. Roger, Spade said. Without air in his lungs and vocal cords, his brain impulses were being directly transmitted as speech. They stepped into the decompression chamber. Brute sealed the hatch behind them. The outer hatch opened and Spade looked up at the black, starry sky of his childhood. He stepped out onto his home worldhis large boots landing with a crunch on the rock and ice. A squad of nine Craaldan infantry was waiting for them. Spade and Professor Mahlis fell into their formation and followed as the squad walked across the black surface of Naos through an encampment of monstrous battle tanks. The swirling colors of Roga were visible between the jagged peaks of the Bleak Range. The giant planet was setting behind the mountains, and for the next few hours would not be visible in the starry sky. Spade marveled at the Craaldan mech armor. He had walked these mountains many times before, but in a human lunar suit, which now seemed clunky and primitive compared to the mech armor. And the CX-649 was light years ahead of any human weapons systems. The CX-649 could spit out a storm of molten metal that could chew through a mountainside. And the grenade launcher, depending on the setting, could kill one man standing in a crowd from a
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hundred clicks out. Change the settings and it could take out an entire tank platoon. Spade wished the Naos Lunar Militia had been equipped with Craaldan mech armor and CX-649s when the Diocons had attacked. Then the militia could have put up a fight. Brilliant flashes illuminated the stark landscape. Shadows danced in the bright white light from overhead. Two missiles had hit the orbiting Craaldan minefields, the nukes detonating far above the Naos surface. The electromagnetic pulses from the blasts caused static to flicker across Spades visual display. Spade and Professor Mahlis followed the Craaldan squad along a narrow path cut into a steep mountainside. Spade had walked this path before and knew it led to a ridge that overlooked Zanders Plain. Spade pulled up data on the squad leader who was in command of their small formation. What was odd was that the squad was being led by a sergeant majora rank too high to be leading a mere squad. When they came around a bend, a Craaldan forward operating base came into view, wedged into a saddle below the ridgeline. Aerial defense missile launchers and laser cannons were emplaced at each of the bases six corners. Infantry, artillery and armored vehicles were in motion between hangars dug half into the rock. A constant flow of weaponry and machinery moved in and out of the bases three gates. The center of the base was dominated by a large tracked vehicle that bristled with antennae. Sergeant Major Rupa, Professor Mahlis called out. The soldier in the center of their loose formation raised a fist and the squad halted in unison. The soldiers went down on a knee and pointed their weapons outward.

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Stay here with your squad while Captain Spade and I are in the command post with Commander Cripp, the professor said. Follow me, Spade. Lead the way.

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Order of Battle

Spade and the professor entered the tracked vehicle which served as the central command post for the Craaldan forces on Naos. Craaldan soldiers with silver rank on their chests stood before large screens that displayed scrolling data. The soldiers were wearing armor, but their helmets were removed. A map displaying the location of friendly and enemy units was projected onto a wall. Commander Cripp had his hands clasped behind his back as he looked up at the map. Like General Seb, he was about a head taller than the typical Craaldan. Welcome to Naos, Professor Mahlis, Cripp said. I am delighted to be here, the professor replied. Professor Mahlis and Spade removed their helmets. Spade inhaled deeply the cold air in the command vehicle, feeling his lungs once again fill with air. Breathing through his mouth and nose now seemed distracting after getting used to having oxygen directly injected into his veins. Although his helmet was removed, his brain was still connected to the mech armor computer, which continued to translate the Craaldan language for him. He never thought he could get used to hearing the harsh Craaldan tonguea difficult language both to listen to and to master. The situation on the ground is dire, Commander Cripp stated. The Diocons are amassing their forces for an attack. It appears the enemy will try to annihilate us before our reinforcements arrive. But our defenses are strong. As long as our missile shield is operable we believe we can withstand any direct assault. Is this command center the communications node for the missile shield? the professor asked.
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Affirmative, the commander answered. He pointed upwards at the map. Our aerial defense batteries are dug in atop the peaks of the Bleak Range, providing us with an impenetrable nuclear umbrella. Second Battalion is defending the ingress, which is the most likely avenue of approach to the peaks. And if the Diocons break through 2nd Battalions lines? Professor Mahlis asked. If the enemy were to break through and reach the peaks and then knock out our anti-missile batteries and laser cannons, then they could nuke both brigades. But 2nd Battalion is well emplaced to defend against such a scenario. The enemy will be massacred as soon as they enter our kill zone. You have an obvious weakness in your defense, Commander, the professor said. Oh? This command center, the professor said. If the enemy were to overrun this forwarding operating base and destroy the command center, the missile shield would go down. Correct. But only briefly until my second in command takes charge. And we in headquarters company do not plan on being overrun. The commander looked at the little Noctish professor, whose tiny head protruded up from his Craaldan armor. The Diocons are cut off, Commander Cripp said. No communications are going in or out of Zander City. We have total information dominance. Once we land another brigade, we will destroy them. Do not overestimate your strength, Commander, Professor Mahlis said. Do you have any new actionable intelligence? the commander asked.

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That is not my purpose here, Mahlis said. I am here to stop this madness. The commander cracked a smile. But the madness has only begun. Mahlis sighed. He explained how he needed to get across the Naos Rift and behind enemy lines without getting killed. Then he would attempt to get to the Diocon command and control center, which was located somewhere in the Craggy Mountains above Zander City. Youll never make it, Cripp said. The enemy will cut you down as soon as you cross the Naos Rift. The Diocons have left us a few openings to the north, Spade interjected, looking up at the map on the wall. A squad could slip through. We might be able to stay out of their line of sight and reach the Craggies without incident. A circled, red X marked the suspected location of the Diocon command and control center. I know a few passes that can take us up the backside of the mountains undetected. There are mining tunnels that will lead us right to that location. Your human friend has it all figured out, Cripp said. They are a primitive species, the professor said, but they have their moments. A scout squad has been assigned to your mission, professor, Cripp said. You will be in good hands with Sergeant Major Rupa. Listen to him and you may survive this folly. Thank you, Commander, the professor said. Carry on. The commander walked to a group of colonels who were huddled over a display of scrolling Craaldan script. Spade, I want you to give the commanders aide the canister you are carrying, Professor Mahlis said. Tell him it is a gift from you and that he shouldnt allow the commander to open it until we are outside the wire. Do you understand?
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Whats in the canister? Spade asked. A gift of great value, the professor answered. You give it to him, then. Captain Spade, give the aide the gift. It is customary before a mission to bestow a gift to the commander. It might raise his opinion of humans if he were to think it is from you. Now hurry, give the aide the canister. Spade removed the canister from the carrying module on his thigh. He walked over to the commanders aide, who was seated before a large display screen. Spade handed the aide the canister and told him it was a gift, and not to open until after they had left the forward operating base. The aide appeared to understand. Roger, he said. He raised a handheld scanner and passed it front of Spades eye. Then he shoved the canister into a small locker under his display panel. Good luck on your mission, human, the aide said. Spade put on his helmet and left the command and control center. He walked out onto the Naos surface where Professor Mahlis was waiting with the squad of nine Craaldans. Beyond the perimeter of the base, giant Roga rose above the ridgeline. They stood on the hard ground around their squad leader as the busy traffic of war moved about them between the hangars.

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Sergeant Major Rupa

Well travel in squad file until we reach the ridgeline, Sergeant Major Rupa said. Then squad column to the rift. Alpha fire team wedge right. Bravo left. Tracking? Roger, Sergeant Major, the team leaders replied. Alpha fire team was led by a Craaldan soldier named Sgt. Shard. Bravo was led by Sgt. Boke. Professor Mahlis, your battle buddy is Private Phleg, Sergeant Major Rupa said. Private Phleg, do not let the professor out of your sight or into harms way. Copy? Copy that, Sergeant Major, Pvt. Phleg answered. Phleg, carrying his large CX-649 weapon, stood up from his crouch and walked up beside the professor. The soldiers were nearly indistinguishable in their mech armor, except for the number of stripes on the insignia on their chests. Their name and rank were also printed on the left side of their chest. The computer in Spades mech armor seamlessly translated the Craaldan lettering and insignia into its human equivalent. Two of the soldiers were distinguished by the specialized weaponry that they carried, which looked like larger versions of the CX-649. Sergeant Major Rupa had so many stripes on his insignia that, in comparison, the others looked deficient in rank. The sergeant major lifted his armored arm and waved his palm forward. The squad moved out in spaced single file. Spade jogged up beside the sergeant major. You didnt assign my battle buddy, Spade said. That is correct, Rupa said. Spade walked beside him, dodging massive mechanized vehicles as they rumbled past on the rock and ice.
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Why is a sergeant major leading a scout squad anyway? Spade asked. Shouldnt you be back on the command ship terrorizing lieutenants and stroking some generals ego? I was a squad leader in a scout platoon for over 300 Earthyears, human. I was a platoon sergeant for another 200. A first sergeant for 50. Ive seen more battles than youve seen stars. Squad leader is below your pay grade, Spade said. Craaldans don get paid, he replied. So whose pot did you piss in to get assigned this mission? Hmph. General Seb wants the professor back alive, and he wants me to keep my eyes on you. Thats why I am leading this mission. So watch yourself. Just so you know, I aint infantry, Spade said. Im a pilot. I know that. Where do you want me in the formation? Spade asked. On point, the sergeant major said. Say again? You heard me. On point. Get up there, human! Spade knew little about infantry tactics. He was a pilot, not a ground pounder. He attempted to recall those countless conversations he had with a former crewmember named Sgt. Joe Grimes. Grimes had been a Ranger with the Heliac Defense Forces, and on their voyages through the Inner Galaxy, Grimes would often recount the Craaldan assault on the Heliac System and the tactics the Rangers used against them. Of course, the Craaldans made short work of the Heliac Defense Forces and massacred the humans that had settled that system. Stay tactical, human, Sergeant Major Rupa said. Take point, ASAP! Even behind the mech armor, the sergeant major had command presence and a persuasive quality. Spade trotted up
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to the front of the column and took his position at the front of the squad. The squad left the gate and marched up a rocky slope. When they reached the ridgeline, Rupa signaled for the squad to get down. The soldiers took cover behind boulders and chunks of black ice. Sergeant Major Rupa waved over Professor Mahlis, who signaled for Spade to accompany him. Rupa scanned the plain below. Nine platoons were dug into fighting positions below in the half bowl where the plain met the Bleak Range. A large kill zone would greet enemy forces that attempted to advance on their positions. Outside the kill zone, the Craaldans had emplaced ambushes and observation posts at strategic points on the plain all the way to the glowing Naos Rift. The rift glowed red in the blackness of the moonscape. Beyond the rift was a long expanse of empty plain that stretched to the foothills of the Craggy Mountains, where the ruins of Zander City were visible against the dark, jagged silhouette of rocky peaks. I see no enemy units, Professor Mahlis said. Theyre out there, Rupa said. Every unit that has tried to cross the rift has been cut down. They are dug in so well that our sensors have not pinned down a complete picture of their fighting positions. Spade pointed out at the plain. They are dug in there, there and there, he said. Theyve built a trench line and tunnel system below our line of sight and are able to move between their bunkers for complete coverage of any direct crossing of the rift. They know how to use terrain for concealment, thats for sure. Rupa zoomed his optics in on the positions. Impressive, human.

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We can cross the rift there, Spade said, pointing to the north. We will still be in range of that bunker complex, Rupa said. Roger, but there is a spine of rock that runs due west and is paralleled by a narrow ravine. If we stay in the ravine below the spine, we have a shot at infiltrating their lines. Then we can make a run for the mountains. I see no spine of rock, Rupa said. Trust me, its there, Spade said. When I was a kid, I used to sneak up on Naos Lunar Militia patrols during training exercises by following those rocks. Worked every time. If you ever want to cross Zanders Plain without being seen, that is the way to do it. Excellent, Captain Spade, Professor Mahlis said. Despite the reservations of General Seb, you are proving to be quite the asset. A violent shockwave suddenly thudded against their armor. The ground beneath them lurched and rumbled. Spade, Rupa and Mahlis dropped to the ground and took cover behind outcroppings of rock. Team leaders, report! Sergeant Major Rupa said. Alpha is up. Bravo up. A yellow fireball expanded over the forward operating base behind them. Thats the command post, Rupa said. The bright fireball climbed upward above the base that they had just left. From their vantage point on the ridge, it appeared that a large blast had just flattened much of it. The base just got smoked, Rupa said. Commander Cripp is in the command post, as is the entire command staff, Professor Mahlis said. It cannot be destroyed.
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The brigades aerial defenses have gone down, Rupa said. This is not good. A missile screamed upward from Zander City and arced over the plain. Get down! Get down! the sergeant major exclaimed. The missile crossed over the Naos Rift, then shot downward toward 2nd Battalions positions. The landscape vanished in a blinding flash of white light. A shockwave hit Spade like a sledgehammer, throwing him from the surface and hurling him backward. He slammed hard into rock. His visual display flickered out. His mech armor was not responding and he was unable to move. He realized that no oxygen was reaching his bloodstream. Panic set in as a feeling of suffocation overwhelmed him. He felt his consciousness rapidly slipping away. As his panic reached an apex, his visual display flickered back to life. Oxygen flowed back into his bloodstream to his profound relief. He stood up from the rocks and ice to see a giant nuclear mushroom cloud expanding over the plain where 2nd Battalion had been safely dug in only moments before.

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Fields of Fire

Alpha team, Sergeant Major Rupa said. Status report. Alpha team is up, Sgt. Shard, the alpha fire team leader, said. Bravo. Status, Rupa said. Bravos up, Sgt. Boke, the bravo fire team leader, said. Private Phleg, status report on Professor Mahlis, Rupa said. I am well, Professor Mahlis said. The professor is well, Pvt. Phleg said. The squad watched the broiling mushroom cloud expand and dissipate upward above the plain. Tactical nuke, Rupa said. Direct hit. Did 2nd Battalion withstand the blast? the professor asked. Negative, Rupa said. Oh, dear, the professor said. The nuke had detonated above the center of the half bowl and had vaporized 2nd Battalion and flattened their defensive fortifications. Three more missiles shot upward from Zander City and arced toward the Craaldan lines. Take cover, Rupa said. When the missiles zoomed over the Naos Rift, the Craaldan laser cannons up on the mountain peaks opened up and blasted at them with rapid pulses. The missiles were pulverized in great puffs of smoke and debris. Aerial defenses are back online, bravo team leader Sgt. Boke said. Sergeant Major, Sgt. Shard said. Your three oclock. Diocon ground-attack drones coming in low. Copy. Stay down and stay tactical.
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Fifteen ground-attack drones skimmed above the plain at great velocity, throwing up spectacular columns of dust behind them. The large Diocon drones were the bane of the Craaldan infantry. Without aerial defenses, a handful of drones could easily dispatch an entire infantry battalion, and pinpoint and destroy sniper teams. The drones shot over the Naos Rift and discharged a salvo of cluster bombs that impacted across the lunar surface and exploded with a powerful and rapid succession of shockwaves. The shockwaves swept across the valley floor. The defensive mine fields on the Craaldan side of the rift detonated, throwing up an enormous wall of black dust. The glowing red river of lava disappeared behind the rising dust cloud. As the ground attack aircraft raced forward, the Craaldan aerial defenses on the mountain peaks let loose a barrage of missiles and laser pulses, which smashed into the speeding Diocon dronesall fifteen of which were shattered to pieces in explosions of fire and metal. The debris hurtled and crashed to the surface, throwing up dust plumes and carving channels into the rock and ice as chunks of the drones careened and rolled across the plain. Aerial defense has neutralized the Diocon drones, Rupa said. Command and control is restored and combat effective. The wall of dust thrown up by the detonation of the mine field nearly obscured all of the Diocon side of the plain. Through the leading edge of the rising cloud, a horde of Diocon infantry burst through the dust and charged across the plain. The Diocons sprinted out of the cloud at tremendous speeds, racing toward the half-bowl ingress to the Bleak Range.
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From his vantage point up on the ridgeline, Spade counted an entire Diocon infantry battalion900 soldiers strong racing across the rock and ice that recently had been flattened and swept smooth by the nuclear blast. It was the first time Spade had observed the Diocons this close up. Each Diocon soldier was steel gray and fifteen feet tall. They had glowing red eyes set into their bullet-shaped heads. They had spindly arms and legs. In their arms they carried large armonium cannons that fired high-explosive, armor-piercing rounds. The Diocons ran in tight squad formations at speeds almost as fast as the flying drones. Spade imagined the tragic futility of the Naos Lunar Militia as it opposed such a Diocon onslaught that had so easily annihilated the human population here on Naos. No one is positioned to stop them from reaching the mountains, Professor Mahlis observed. They will overrun the aerial defenses and leave us open to further nuke strikes. The Diocon infantry raced unopposed across the half bowl and neared the cover of the Bleak Range where they could disappear into the crags and ravines. Nine Craaldan battle tanks rolled over a low mountain ridgeline directly in front of the advancing Diocons. The reserve tank company had maneuvered through a pass in the mountains in an attempt to block the Diocon assault from reaching the aerial defenses positioned on the peaks above. The battle tanks massed their fire and unleashed a barrage of rounds that smashed directly into the front of the rapidly advancing Diocon infantry. The metal Diocon soldiers were tough, but not tough enough to withstand rounds at near point blank range from Craaldan battle tanks. The Diocons were ripped to pieces. They halted their advance and sought cover on the open ground behind chunks of rock and ice and debris from the destroyed drones.
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Mechanized vehicles from two Craaldan infantry battalions that were dug in to the south rolled onto the battlefield, positioning themselves between the Naos Rift and the Diocon infantry, effectively cutting off a Diocon retreat. The vehicles halted and their rear hatches dropped open. Craaldan infantry rushed out of the hatches and took up fighting positions to the rear of the enemy infantry. The Craaldans had the Diocon battalion surrounded with tanks to the front and infantry to the rear. The tanks blasted at the Diocons, while the two Craaldan infantry battalions unleashed a curtain of fire from the rear, advancing on them in a coordinated attack. The Diocons attempted to return fire with their powerful cannons, but they were in exposed positions and their fire was disorganized amidst the exploding tank salvos and the onslaught of molten metal fired from the Craaldan infantry to their rear. This battle is over, the sergeant major said. The Diocon attack has been routed. This is a mopping up operation now. Spade watched below as the Craaldan infantry methodically advanced on the pinned down Diocons, flanking them and masterfully picking them off with grenades and coordinated bursts of fire. Accurate and well-coordinated volleys from the Craaldan CX-649s were cutting the Diocons to shreds. Diocon soldiers managed to land a few direct hits on Craaldan vehicles and infantry positions, but theirs was a lost cause. One squad of isolated Diocon soldiers rushed at a Craaldan squad, but the Diocons were lit up and cut down. One wounded Diocon managed to sprint up close to the Craaldan squads position. A Craaldan soldier stood up and popped a long bayonet from his armored fist. He sliced the Diocon in half with a mighty slash of his blade.

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Sorry you couldnt stop your war, professor, Spade said. Looks like our mission ended before it began. What do you mean? the professor asked. This mission will continue. Sergeant Major, move your squad forward. Roger that, the sergeant major said. Lock it up, Rupa said to his squad. He raised his arm and signaled for the squad to move out. The squad members rose to their feet and moved down the ridge in wedge formation toward the plain. Human! the sergeant major barked. Youre on point! Get up there!

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Crossing the Rift

Spade led the squad across the plain using terrain features to mask their movement. He knew the terrain well and understood which rises and depressions and rock formations hid them from observers on the opposite side of the valley. The Craaldans were experts when it came to concealment and speed of movement. Spade attempted to imitate their skill at disappearing into seemingly open ground. Spade raised a fist and signaled for the squad to halt. They had reached the Naos Rift. He signaled for them to take cover and waved over the sergeant major. Do you see the drones? Spade asked him. Roger. Drones were flying above the Diocon side of the plain, moving in a grid pattern scanning for infiltrators. Spade pointed out the bunkers that were systematically placed to sweep the rift with fire in the case anyone tried to cross. They are relying on the drones to be their eyes, Spade said. Professor Mahlis walked up to Spade and the sergeant major. Get down! Rupa barked. The enemy is on high alert after the loss of a battalion. The professor crouched down. Yes, their standard operating procedure after an offensive attack is to prepare a defense against counterattack, the professor said. Hmm, the sergeant major said. He was busily scanning the ruins of distant Zander City. What is it? the professor said. According to our intelligence estimate, the enemy should have two battalions remaining. But by my count, there are
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five battalion command vehicles to the north and south of the city. The command vehicles were distinguishable by the many antennae that protruded from their turrets. I count seven, Spade said. Those are infantry battalion commanders. Seven? the professor said. Thats enough for three combat brigades. They have been reinforced, Rupa said. This is not good. Yes, the professor said. The Diocons have constructed an automated weapons factory inside one of the mountains. There. He pointed to a gray domed structure that extended into a mountainside behind Zander City. They are producing tanks and infantry. They have the capability to build an infantry platoon and three battle tanks every hour. We must make haste, Captain Spade, before they overwhelm us with superior numbers. We wait for the drones to pass, Spade said. Then we jump to the other side of the rift and sprint for the ravine behind the rock spine. We will be safe from observation once were in the ravine. Risky, the sergeant major said. Were in range of their crew-served weapons. All Naos is in range of their crew-served weapons, Spade said. Good point, Rupa said. Ill go first, Spade said. Then send your troops over one by one after each pass of the drones. Roger that, Rupa said. On the other side of the lava flow, a drone flew above the bank. Spade waited for it to pass. Then he stood and sprinted for the Naos Rift. When he reached the bank, he jumped at full sprint.
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He would never have attempted to jump the rift in his old lunar suit, although he had cleared it before on a tricked out lunar rover. In the Craaldan mech armor, he soared high over the bubbling red lava and crashed onto the bank on the Diocon side. He recovered his footing and sprinted across the open ground nervously watching the nearest Diocon bunker about 500 meters to the south. He ducked behind a large boulder and then slid down into the ravine. A drone passed overhead, scanning the surface below. Spade ducked behind a blackened boulder of ice and lay motionless until the drone disappeared over the rock spine. Sgt. Shard slid down the rocky slope into the ravine. Spade waved for Shard to take cover as another drone approached. One by one the Craaldans slid down into the ravine and took cover. Professor Mahlis ineptly tumbled head over tail down the slope. The soldiers ran up to him and dragged him into a crevice as the next drone flew near. Sergeant Major Rupa was the last of the squad to slide down into the ravine. Rupa took cover as a drone made a pass, then signaled for Spade to move out. Spade took his position on point and led the squad forward through the ravine below the rock spine. They moved slowly, stopping to take cover for each overpass of a drone. Spade reached the end of the ravine and signaled for the squad to get down. The ravine opened onto a flat stretch of ground, beyond which were the foothills of the Craggy Mountains. The open ground stretched for about 500 meters to a narrow pass through the hills that led to a deeper ravine that cut into the steep cliffs of the Craggies. Spade was hoping to lead the squad to the pass and then up the ravine to a mine shaft, but this plan now seemed unlikely. Rupa low-crawled to Spades position. Whats the hold-up, human? Rupa asked.
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Spade pointed to a bunker that blocked the entrance to the pass. Spade counted five Diocons and one crew-served weapon. We have to turn back, Spade said. This way is covered. No turning back now, Rupa said. Professor Mahlis crawled up to their position. We have to go around, Spade said. Well take another route on the backside of the ridge. How long will that take? Mahlis asked. It will be a long slow slog, about a days time, but at least we wont be cut down by the gun in that bunker, Spade said. We have no time for that, Mahlis said. We must attack the bunker and proceed up the ravine. Thats not going to work, Spade said. Theyll shoot us to shreds as soon as we hit the open ground. We must attack the bunker and make haste up the mountains, Mahlis said. Attack a well-fortified bunker with a squad over open ground? Spade said. We will reveal our position and open ourselves up to counterattack. Theyll sic those drones on us and this mission will be over. We have no choice, Professor Mahlis said. There is no time. Talk some sense into the professor, Sergeant Major, Spade said. Attacking that bunker is suicide. Nonsense, Rupa said. I will lead this attack from the front. Spade shook his head. My money says you wont survive it. You may be right, Sergeant Major Rupa said. But for an old soldier like me, an assault on a bunker makes life worth living.

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Battle Drill

The sergeant major briefed his squad. Alpha fire team would lay down a base of fire. Bravo fire team would flank right and assault the bunker. Spade and Professor Mahlis would stay back with alpha team, while Sergeant Major Rupa would lead the assault. By the numbers, Rupa said to his troops. No time for second best. Copy? Copy that, Sergeant Major, the squad said in unison. Rupa and bravo team moved out to the north, quickly and expertly. Spade and Mahlis followed Sgt. Shard and his three-man fire team as they skirted the edge of the ravine. Pvt. Phleg stayed close to Mahlis. Alpha team rifleman Pvt. Zay walked slowly, scanning their right flank. On the left flank was their gunner, Pvt. Chank, who swung his oversized CX-1049 from the left to the right as he moved between boulders. Sgt. Shard signaled for them to get down. The squad low crawled in a line and took cover in 30-meter spaced intervals. The enemy bunker was 300 meters out at their 12 oclock. They lay motionless as a drone passed overhead. Spade could see five Diocons through the aperture in their bunker. Their red eyes glowed in the blackness of the landscape as their heads swiveled, searching the plain for movement. The swirling colors of mighty Roga appeared behind the peaks of the Craggy Mountains. Fire! Sgt. Shard said. Give em all weve got! The fire teams CX-649s spit out a fusillade of fire at the bunker. Pvt. Chanks CX-1049 hit the bunker with thunderous blasts.
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The Diocons returned fire with blasts from their armonium cannons. Then their crew-served weapon opened up, raking the moonscape with walls of exploding metal. Spade kept his head down under a tremendous firestorm that kicked up huge plumes of rock and ice. A curtain of deadly shrapnel whizzed only centimeters above him. Suddenly, Professor Mahlis stood up and ran for the rear. He stumbled and fell only to get up again and continue running. Down, you idiot! Sgt. Shard shouted. Pvt. Phleg stood and ran after the professor. Phleg caught him from the rear and threw him behind a boulder, but in the process was struck by a round from an armonium cannon. The round took Pvt. Phlegs head clean off. Phleg stood headless. The vacuum of Naos sucked his innards out through his neck in a geyser of blood and guts. Phlegs blood and guts froze instantly and spattered about on the ground. His body fell backward and landed with a shudder in a cloud of dust. The remaining squad members kept up their rate of fire, blasting away at the bunker. They then shifted fire to the south. Spade watched to the north as Rupa and his squad arose from the moonscape and sprinted toward the bunkers vulnerable flank. Two Diocons emerged from the bunkers rear door and aimed their cannons at the assaulting squad. Rupas riflemen, Pvt. Hett and Pvt. Gango, hit the dirt, while Sgt. Major Rupa, Sgt. Boke, and gunner Pvt. Reep continued their charge. Sgt. Boke took a round in the center of his chest. His arms, legs and head ripped away from his body in a flash of fire. Hett and Gango blasted away at the two Diocons, knocking them down with direct hits.
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Rupa and Pvt. Reep sprinted up under fire and took cover against the side of the bunker. Hett and Gango reached the bunker and backed against its rear wall, keeping their weapons trained on the rear door. With Reep covering, Rupa reached around and tossed a grenade through the bunkers front aperture. The grenade exploded, rocking the moonscape with a powerful shockwave and spewing flame from the front aperture. The bunkers rear door flung open. A Diocon soldier staggered out the open door. Hett and Gango immediately cut the Diocon to shreds with slashes from the bayonets that protruded from their fists. Rupa and Reep ducked into the bunkers rear door. Spade could see the flashes inside as they systematically executed the Diocons with quick bursts from their weapons. Sgt. Shard stood and signaled for alpha fire team to move forward. Private Zay, youve got the professor, Shard said. Roger, Pvt. Zay said. As they moved across the open ground, three drones rose from the horizon and raced above the moonscape toward them. Go, go, go! Shard shouted. The fire team sprinted for the bunker as the drones fired off a barrage of missiles that exploded around them. Pvt. Zay disintegrated inside the blast from a missile strike. Pvt. Chank stopped in his tracks amid the explosions and aimed his big gun skyward. With three quick bursts, he brought down the drones, which crashed against the moons surface and cart-wheeled over the rock and ice. Sgt. Shard and his remaining fire team entered the bunker. Alpha team was already inside. Rupa was seated atop the smoking metal carcass of a Diocon soldier. He was scanning a database through a charred and cracked display screen.

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I was wrong, Spade said to Rupa. The old soldier survives to fight another day. Im old, but Im not rusty, Rupa said. Status check. Private Zay and Private Phleg killed in action, Shard said. Professor Mahlis, Pvt. Chank and the human are alive. Sergeant Boke killed in action, Pvt. Gango said. Private Hett and Private Reep are up. Roger, Rupa said. Private Gango, youve got bravo. Roger that, Pvt. Gango said. We must move quickly, Sergeant Major, Professor Mahlis said. Roger, Rupa said. Human, youre back on point. Well follow you up the ravine. Weve revealed our position, Spade said. The ravine is a no go. Lead us up the ravine, Captain, Professor Mahlis said. Time is of the essence. A kill team on the ridgeline could pick us off one by one, Spade said. Thats if the drones dont get us first. If we lay low and move around the backside of the ridgeline, we might have a chance of surviving this mission. I know the terrain. It will be slow, but there is plenty of cover back there. Captain Spade, the professor said. I am a student of Diocon standard operating procedures. The enemy is currently occupied with the possibility of a frontal attack from the Craaldan main body. They will send a reconnaissance platoon here to investigate and will determine that the size of our force is insignificant, and that their priorities are elsewhere. There will be no kill team on the ridgeline. Now quit stalling and take us up the ravine.

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Kill Zone

Spade led the squad as quickly as he could move up the steep ravine, which was merely a narrow channel that cut upward through black rock. Spade didnt like this. If the Diocons had gone through the effort to emplace a bunker at the foot of this ravine, they believed it was worth defending. Spade felt exposed at the point of the squad column, which had been reduced from nine to six, not including himself and Professor Mahlis. Stay tactical, Rupa said. If they had reached the ravine undetected, they could have safely climbed to the mine shaft without incident. But they had been detected, and now they were boxed in and could be easily picked off from above if a kill team were in position. The sergeant major had deferred decision making to the professor. For all his experience, Spade thought the sergeant major was being reckless driving them forward like this. He thought it was unwise for a hardened soldier like Rupa to take orders on a battlefield from an intellectual. But what did Spade know? He was only human, he thought. Rupa and Professor Mahlis had been tromping around the galaxy for ages long before Spade was born. The squad continued its climb upwards in a wedge formation with Spade on point. Pvt. Reep was to Spades left, Pvt. Hett to his right and Pvt. Gango to the right of Hett. Further back, Sgt. Shard was at the head of what used to be the alpha fire team. All that was left was Pvt. Chank, carrying his big gun, walking to the right of Shard. Sgt. Major Rupa was at the center of the formation, directing the movement of the squad and keeping his eye on Professor Mahlis.
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Take cover, Rupa ordered. The squad members concealed themselves in the moonscape. Three large drones in tight formation zoomed up the ravine, spitting up a cloud of dust behind them. They shot past, and then zoomed vertically when they reached the ravines far end. The drones disappeared high overhead. Once the drones had passed, Spade stood up and waved them forward. It was not much farther to the entrance to a mine shaft. The entrance would be impossible to find in these rugged mountains without prior knowledge of its exact location. The humans that had lived here had extensively mined these mountains, which were filled with rich veins of every sort of ore. While Naos lacked an atmosphere, it had an abundant supply of natural resourcesa primary reason for why Dr. Zander had chosen this isolated moon for settlement. Get down! Get down! Rupa commanded. Spade turned around to see Pvt. Gango fall backward and hit the dirtthe soldiers mech armor punctured by a sniper round. Gango had taken a direct hit to the chest. His guts spewed out into the vacuum through the puncture hole in his armor. Spade tried to take cover, but there was nowhere to hide between the ravines narrow walls. Sniper, three oclock high, Rupa said. The squad fired as one toward the three oclock position. Their weapons chewed up the ridgeline, lighting up the dark ravine in flashes of light. Hold your fire, Rupa said. Spade scanned the ridgeline but saw nothing. He glanced to his rear and saw Sgt. Shards head explode in a cloud of pink mist and twisted metal. Bulls-eye, struck by a sniper round. Move, move, move! Rupa commanded.
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Pull back! Spade shouted. Theres a kill team up there! Theyve got our number! Forward! Rupa commanded. The sergeant major sprinted past Spade, followed by his squad. Spade rose to his feet and sprinted after them. An armonium round exploded in front of hima direct hit on Pvt. Hett and Pvt. Reep. The two Craaldan soldiers were ripped apart by the blast. Rupa ran fast, but he didnt know where he was going other than onward. No cover was to be found in the tight confines of the ravine. Spade sprinted through plumes of fire and dust, trying to reach him. Another kilometer more and they could duck into the mine shaft. A round from an armonium cannon struck Rupa, slicing his torso in two. Rupas body was flung apart into two separated halves. Sergeant Major! Spade yelled. The top half of Rupas body landed in the cold dust, but Rupa continued firing. He fired off a last blast from his CX649 before he went still. A round exploded nearby, flipping Spade off the ground. He landed hard as rounds exploded around him. He rose to his feet and sprinted upward to the mine shaft opening. Another round exploded at his feet. Spade was thrown across the ravine. He slammed into the rock wall and tumbled down to the icy ground, landing with a crunch. He couldnt move. His visual display flickered and went black. No more oxygen was reaching his bloodstream. He began to suffocate within the mech armor. He was fading fast. He desperately used the last of the glucose in his brain to access the mech armors computer. He attempted to send out a distress signal, but he was unable to transmit.
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He descended into darkness. At long last, this was death. He was unsure how much time had elapsed when his visual display flickered back to life. Captain Spade, Captain Spade. An armored soldier was staring down into his faceplate. It wasnt a soldier. It was the professor. Are you still alive, Captain? the professor asked. It appears so. We need to move quickly, Professor Mahlis said. Can you still get us to the entrance to the mine? Where is the rest of the squad? Spade asked. They have been killed, Professor Mahlis answered. The Diocon kill team is advancing down the ridge. We have to move out immediately, Captain. Spade rose to his feet and looked around. The remains of the squad were scattered about the ravine. A round exploded nearby. Rocks and dirt spattered against their mech armor. Three Diocon soldiers descended the rock walls at the far end of the ravine. Another Diocon soldier at the top of the ridge was taking potshots at them. We have to move, Captain, Professor Mahlis said. They will be upon us in a moment. Spade recovered his faculties and sprinted up the ravine with the professor following closely behind. They scrambled over rocks and ice until Spade was able to locate a small hole in a rock wall. Over here, professor, Spade called. Three Diocons were sprinting at full speed up the ravine. They fired rounds from their armonium cannons. Spade ducked into the shaft and pulled the professor in behind him as the rounds exploded against the rocky mountainside, throwing Spade and the professor onto their backs in the darkness.
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Zander City

Stay close! Spade said to Professor Mahlis. Spade ran through the darkness. A light on his shoulder cast a narrow beam against the carved rock. Shadows danced across the cold walls. Spade ducked left and right down forking tunnels while pulling the professor behind him. Spade knew these tunnels by muscle memory, and followed his instinct deeper into the mines. Once he felt he had evaded his pursuers, he stopped. He turned and grabbed the professor and slammed him hard against the rock wall. You rat-faced bastard, Spade growled. You said there would be no kill teams on the ridgeline. Captain Spade, the professor stammered. There is much uncertainty in the universe. But now is not the time for contemplation. The two armored forms were locked together in the darkness. Spade had Mahlis pinned against the wall, glaring down at him through his yellow faceplate. We should have gone around the backside of the mountain like I said! Spade exclaimed. Your haste got a whole squad killed. A Craaldans fate is to die in battle, the professor said. What is important is that we complete our mission. I dont care about your stupid mission! Spade said. Spades sensors picked up movement approaching through the tunnels. He released the professor from his grip. The Diocon kill team is following our tracks, Spade said. Maybe we should surrender to them, the professor said. Say again? Spade asked.
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We can surrender, the professor said. Perhaps they will spare our lives. Jeez, Spade said in disgust. He contemplated popping his bayonet and skewering the little professor through his mech armor. But instead, he grabbed him and dragged him along as he darted down a dark tunnel. Spade knew these mines and was certain he could confuse any tracker in the maze of narrow tunnels. He climbed up a ladder that cut up a narrow cylinder through the rock. He pulled the professor up behind him. Spade emerged onto a ledge. He ducked through a hole in the rock and stepped out onto the side of a cliff that looked down on Zander City below. He pulled the professor outside. Zander City! Mahlis exclaimed. Spade looked down at the dark ruins of his hometown. He had sat on this ledge numerous times before and gazed down at the city, when it was alight on the foothills of the plain. But now all was darkness and ruin. Hundreds of memories were associated with each street and building in the cityscape below. The swimming pool where he had spent so much time as a child. The library where he had stolen his first kiss. The landing strip where he had learned to fly. The tavern where the pilots downed drinks and told tales of diving their ships deep into the stormy clouds of Roga, while the militia taunted them and challenged them to shootouts on the range. He could see the ruins of Dr. Zanders modest house in the center of town. Spade always enjoyed visiting the doctor who always made time to chat between his studies. Spade remembered the faces and families that once filled the citys busy walkways and buildings. Zander City was small enough that its inhabitants knew each other by name. They

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had been family in a literal sense. Nearly all of them shared DNA. But in an instant rain of metal and fire, all eighty-five thousand souls had been snuffed out. Now the lifeless Diocons and their killing machines ruled the cratered streets and burned out buildings that had once been his hometown. There! Professor Mahlis said. The command and control vehicle! A nondescript tracked vehicle was situated on the western edge of town in the foothills that overlooked Zander City and the plain beyond. The vehicle was huge and black and bristling with antennae. Spade planned a route through the streets, buildings and back alleys to bypass any contact with Diocon infantry. Follow me, professor, Spade said. Stay close. You copy? Lead the way, Captain. They climbed down the rock wall. Spade sprinted over the foothills and dashed into the city limits. The professor followed right on his heels. They ducked from one burned out building to the next, darting down the deserted alleyways. The covered walkways were no longer covered. The walls and ceilings of the self-contained buildings had all been breached. Entire buildings had collapsed and now were nothing more than piles of rubble. Electronic books, cooking utensils, clothing, computer screens and the miscellaneous paraphernalia of human civilization were randomly scattered about in charred piles. Spade did not see any bodies. The Diocons had long since disposed of the corpsesto what purpose Spade did not know. He pulled the professor to the ground inside the skeletal frame of the citys main high school. Outside, an infantry
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platoon of forty soldiers marched past. The fifteen-foot tall soldiers marched in perfect ranks, their glowing red eyes facing forward. The infantry was followed by a tank platoon. The heavy tanks rumbled down the narrow street. They were sleeker than the Craaldan battle tank, and unmanned the tanks were actually heavily armed ground drones similar to their aerial counterparts. They are preparing to mount another attack, the professor said. Perhaps they have gained the upper hand in numbers. Spade grabbed the professor and pulled him along behind him. He raced from the city and up the foothills to the large command and control vehicle. They reached it without being detected. The vehicle was unguarded. Spade clutched his weapon with his back against the metal wall of the vehicle. Now what? Spade asked. The professor stood in front of him. He walked over to the vehicles rear hatch. I suppose we should introduce ourselves. Professor Mahlis knocked on the door with his armored knuckles. What are you doing? Spade asked, incredulously. Professor Mahlis knocked again. The hatch dropped open and he stepped inside. The professor poked his head out of the hatch. Captain Spade. Arent you coming in? Spade looked around. No Diocon soldiers were to be seen. Spade followed the professor into the decompression chamber and then into the command and control vehicle. Once inside, Professor Mahlis removed his helmet. In front of them was the back of a chair that faced a large, wall-sized control panel that displayed Zander City and the

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various units out on the battlefield, as well as the Craaldan Fleet orbiting Roga. Professor Fahlis, Professor Mahlis said, is that you?

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Know Your Enemy

The large chair spun around and revealed a small Noctish figure sitting inside it. The Noctish biped in the chair looked exactly like Professor Mahlis, only dressed differently, in some kind of military uniform. He wore a black shirt and black pants and small black boots on his tiny feet. Professor Mahlis! the little Noctish creature in the chair exclaimed. I had given up all hope on you! Professor Mahlis unclamped himself from his mech armor. The chest plate swung open and Professor Mahlis jumped to the floor. The empty mech armor remained standing as the professor ran up to the little humanoid dressed in black. They hugged each other happily. The two Noctish jumped up and down and clapped their hands giddily. Why, dont you look the dashing soldier? Professor Mahlis said. And you were absolutely terrifying in all that horrible armor! Professor Fahlis said. Spade lifted his faceplate and breathed in the cold air inside the command and control vehicle. He watched the two Noctish curiously. Professor Fahlis, you almost killed me when you launched the nuke strike that destroyed 2rd Battalion, Professor Mahlis said. I had no idea you had landed on the surface, Professor Fahlis said. I suspected as much when I picked up an encrypted cease fire beacon from an inbound ship. And when Commander Cripps command vehicle was destroyed, my hopes were raised, but I had no way of knowing for sure it was you.
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I had no way to communicate with you, Professor Mahlis said. You do not realize the degree of risk I have been taking recently. Quite heroic, Professor Mahlis, Professor Fahlis said. Quite heroic, indeed. What is our situation? Professor Mahlis asked. It is quite dire, Professor Fahlis answered. We have achieved numerical superiority on the surface; however, a jammer squadron has joined the Craaldan Fleet and it is only a matter of hours until they pierce our missile shield and bombard our positions. Not to worry, not to worry, Professor Mahlis said. Let us watch the fleet. The two Noctish turned their attention to a screen that displayed the Craaldan 17th Fleet as it rounded the orbit of Roga. General Sebs command ship cruised between cruisers, destroyers and troop transports. Professor Mahlis pulled out a small, handheld detonation device from a pocket in his rumpled shirt. One! Two! Three! He pushed the button. The two Noctish stared up at the screen for a moment. Then General Sebs ship disappeared in a flash of white light. A powerful nuclear blast engulfed most of the Craaldan fleet. The ships far enough from the blast were rocked by the shockwave. Several broke apart. Flames burst from the hulls of others. We now have the upper hand, Professor Mahlis said. The Craaldans have taken the bait and fallen into our trap! Clever! Clever indeed! Professor Fahlis said. But then, Professor Fahlis appeared concerned, as if he were having second thoughts. But Professor Mahlis, what if the Craaldans learn of your sabotage? This could put the Noctish in grave danger. There are millions of Noctish
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working behind Craaldan lines. And as we know, the Craaldan do not take betrayal lightly. Ah, but humanity will take the blame. It was this human who planted the nuke, Professor Mahlis explained, pointing to Spade. The Craaldan higher command have a record of our human friend depositing a mysterious canister on the command ship, and leaving another at the brigade command post. They will discover that these canisters were both the sources of these treacherous explosions. Oh, you are a clever one! Professor Fahlis said. I also sent a final transmission to higher headquarters, feigning my last dying breath, detailing how our human patsy had destroyed a scout squad, and then fatally wounded me with his evil subterfuge. Excellent! Professor Fahlis said. Our Noctish brothers and sisters with the Craaldans are all aware of their roles in this next stage in our plan, Professor Mahlis said. So the next stage finally begins! Professor Fahlis exclaimed giddily. Spade attempted to take a step forward, but his mech armor locked up. He couldnt move a muscle. What have you done, professor? Spade said. Commence the Diocon attack, Professor Fahlis, Professor Mahlis said. We must strike the Craaldan hard and fast while we have the numerical advantage. Indeed! Professor Fahlis said. The little black-clad Noctish sat in his chair and spun around. He directed his attention to the large control panel before him. He rapidly pushed buttons, and on the screens above the Diocon units were set in motion in a vast attack across Zanders Plain. Tanks and infantry raced across the flat landscape toward the Naos Rift, throwing up huge columns of dust. Countless
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drones lifted off from the airfield behind Zander City and zoomed toward the Bleak Range. Professor Mahlis walked up to Spade, who was standing motionless in his armor. Spades faceplate was still up. He looked down at the little Noctish who stood below him with his hands clasped behind his back. I know you are unable to appreciate your contribution to the success of this mission, Captain Spade, but you have been quite the asset, Professor Mahlis said. You have been invaluable, actually. You rat-faced bastard, Spade growled. You have played your small role in the coming collapse of the Craaldan Empire, Captain Spade. For that you may feel pride. It is a collapse we Noctish have been plotting for what seems an eternity, and for which we have taken great pains and risks to engineer. The Craaldan have been drawn into our trap. Their mighty interstellar fleets will engage the full brunt of the Diocon Empire here while we foment rebellion throughout their empire, and set in motion the alliances we have constructed to unite against them and attack them from their rear at their most vulnerable moment. The beginning of the end of the Craaldan Empire is at hand. They trusted you and you betrayed them, Spade said. Betrayed! Professor Mahlis exclaimed. They were nothing until they met the Noctish! the little professor snarled. We Noctish have suffered their impudence for long enough! The Diocon Empire will receive the benefaction of the Noctish now. What have the Diocons done with Dr. Zander? Spade asked. Ah, yes, Professor Mahlis said. Your beloved Dr. Zander. Dr. Zander? Professor Fahlis spun around in his chair. Dr. Zander was quite remarkable for a human. His
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intelligence was inestimable as we set up our operations in this system. I didnt realize humans could achieve an intellect of his quality. Where is he? Spade demanded. Fahlis thought the matter over. Oh, yes. I sold him to a pathologist from the Malafax system about two Earthdecades ago, if I recall correctly. That sale earned me a paltry sum and I rather regret that I didnt hold out for more. Is he still alive? Spade asked. Perhaps, said Professor Fahlis, who then spun his chair around and returned his attention to the control panel. You little worm, Spade said. Professor Mahlis pressed a button on a panel under his sleeve and the faceplate on Spades helmet clamped shut. Mahlis turned and joined Professor Fahlis at the control console. Spade was still paralyzed inside the mech armor, and now he realized that no oxygen was reaching his blood stream. He was suffocating. Panic set in. Mahlis had cut off his life support and now he only had moments to live. Spade burned through the glucose in his brain trying to scan through the mech armors computer. He was able to access the armors external communications system and attempted to contact the command and control vehicles computer. He frantically cracked into a communications network and found a pathway to a transmitter. His neurons screamed for oxygen as he encrypted a file and then transmitted it through the command and control systems central computer, and then out into space. Spade tried to hang on but felt death pulling him down. His consciousness faded as darkness closed in quickly. His senses faded to black.

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Endgame

Spade gasped. Oxygen flooded into his lungs and bloodstream. He was lying on his back in the mech armor. His faceplate was up. Professor Mahlis looked down at him. You transmitted an encrypted file, Professor Mahlis said. What were the contents of the file? Spade was unsure of how long he had been under. He tried to collect his thoughts. What was the nature of your transmission! Professor Mahlis screeched. It was a video file, Spade said. A video file? the professor asked. A video file of what? I recorded your explanation of the plot to lure the Craaldans into battle at Roga, while Noctish advisers foment rebellions and construct alliances to attack them in their rear, Spade said. I was able to transmit the file out of this can to what remains of the Craaldan fleet for relay to Craaldan headquarters on Goff. Oh, dear, Professor Mahlis said. Mahlis stood on Spades chest, looking down into his face. The professors whiskers twitched and his pink eyes shifted left and right. You should not have done that, Captain Spade. If I know the Craaldans, Spade said, they dont take betrayal lightly. Oh, dear, Professor Mahlis said. The little professor tugged at the whiskers on his chin. The Craaldan will exact revenge on the Noctish. Mahlis scratched his ear spasmodically.
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You have doomed the Noctish advisers to the Craaldan Empire! Do you know how many Noctish you have doomed? Spade attempted to lift his arm inside the inert mech armor, but the armor was too heavy. Do you know how many Noctish you have doomed! Professor Mahlis screamed. The little professor bared his pointy teeth and scratched at Spades one eye. You have doomed millions of Noctish, you dirty animal! Spade bit the professors tiny hand and held it in his teeth. The professor squealed loudly and scratched at Spades face as he struggled to free his hand. His little fingernails drew blood on Spades cheek. With all his strength and exertion, Spade lifted the heavy armor that encased his arm and brought it down onto the professors back with a thud. The professor was pressed against Spades helmet. He flailed at Spades face with his free arm. Spade swung his other arm and caught the professor on the back of the shoulder, forcing the professors little forearm onto the edge of the helmet, near Spades face. With his nose, Spade pressed a button on the control panel strapped to the professors forearm. Spades mech armed powered up. Spade rose to his feet. He clamped his faceplate shut, still holding the squirming professor by the neck. Spade popped the three-foot Craaldan bayonet from his armored fist and punched the blade into the professors belly. The professors eyes went wide, and then he squealed loudly. The blade protruded through Professor Mahliss gut and out his back. Spade lowered the blade and let the little professor slide off its full length and drop to the floor. Professor Mahlis landed

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on his feet and scurried away a few feet before collapsing. The professors face went white as he bled out on the floor. Checkmate, dirtbag, Spade said. Professor Fahlis was backed up against the display screens, staring wide-eyed at Spade. The screens behind him depicted the raging battle between Craaldan and Diocon underway out on the plain. Several mushroom clouds expanded over Craaldan positions to the north and south. Professor Fahlis scrambled quickly to a storage bin and opened it. He pulled a small assault rifle from the bin and aimed it at Spade. In two strides, Spade reached Professor Fahlis and slapped the weapon to the floor. Spade punched his bayonet through Fahliss chest, and quickly pulled it back out. Professor Fahlis threw up his hands and moaned, and then collapsed face first to the floor in a heap. Blood pooled around his tiny form. Spade looked down for a moment at the two dead Noctish on the floor. He turned his gaze to the display screens on the wall. A ferocious close-in battle was raging on the plain as the remaining Craaldans fought for their survival. Diocon forces had crossed the Naos Rift and had overrun several Craaldan battalions. The Diocons had reached the Bleak Range and knocked out the Craaldan missile shield. Nuke strikes had taken out the main bodies of the Craaldan brigades. However, the remaining Craaldan infantry had moved in to engage the Diocon attackers close up. Swarms of drones circled above the plain, zooming downward in tight formations and strafing Craaldan positions. Spade scanned through the visual feeds until he located the area where he had landed his ship. The Craaldan reserve tank force was gone, but the Red Wrath was still there. It sat alone

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in the darkness on the black lunar surface. He could see no motion around the ship or through any of its portholes. Spade checked his timer. He had 30 minutes to make it back to the ship before five hours had elapsed since he had departed. He lifted his CX-649 and walked toward the door. He turned around and aimed his weapon at the banks of computers that filled much of the command and control vehicle. He unloaded the weapon into the computer stacks, chewing them to pieces in fiery bursts of molten metal. He then fired into the display screens, shooting them to bits in a shower of sparks and flame. Flames engulfed the interior of the command and control vehicle. Spade kicked through the doors and jumped outside. He turned again and pumped several grenades into the vehicle. It exploded from the inside, bursting open into several big chunks of burning metal. Drones overhead redirected their flight and zeroed in on him. A squad of Diocons emerged from the ruins of the Zander City and ran up the foothills toward his position. Spade fired off a burst and downed a drone. He fired several grenades at the oncoming squad and sent them scattering for cover. Drones raked the area with fire, throwing up plumes of flames and rock. Spade sprinted up the foothills for the cover of the Craggy Mountains. The Diocon squad was closing in, firing grenades at his position. The explosions smashed against his armor, throwing him to ground. Spade scrambled up a cliff face as Diocon rounds exploded around him. He found an entrance to the mines and pulled himself down into the dark tunnels.

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Red Wrath

Spade emerged from the mining tunnels on the other side of the ridgeline. He skirted the backside of the ridge, moving as fast as he could, ducking for cover whenever a drone zoomed overhead. The Diocon squad rushed out of the mine after him, following his tracks with their sensors. From high up on the ridgeline, Spade could see the battle raging out on the plain beyond the glowing Naos Rift. The Diocons appeared to be in disarray. Without their Noctish mastermind, their battle plan had lost coherence. The control center for the Diocon missile shield had been the command and control vehicle, which Spade had destroyed. With the Diocon missile shield out of commission, the surviving ships from the Craaldan fleet had their opening and were now bombarding the Diocon positions from orbit. Missiles streaked down from space and exploded on the surface in great domes of light. A missile shot upward from a Craaldan position on the Bleak Range and arced over the plain toward Zander City. Spade watched from his vantage point until he lost sight of it behind the jagged black peaks of the Craggy Mountains. A blinding white light flashed and the mountains lurched and shook. A giant mushroom cloud expanded behind the ridgeline. The Craaldans had nuked Zander City. The shockwave knocked Spade to the ground. He tumbled down the steep mountainside, accompanied by crashing boulders, stones and chunks of black ice. He landed on a flat ledge and regained his footing, dodging stones and boulders
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that careened past him. He ran through a ravine and out onto the foothills until he reached the flatness of the plain. He waited for a drone to make its pass, and then sprinted for the Naos Rift. He leaped over the rift and landed on the other side in full sprint. The smoldering corpses of Diocons and Craaldans littered the plain. Fire shot skyward from the wrecked hulks of burning battle tanks. The debris from shattered attack drones was scattered about in craters and channels carved in highvelocity crashes. The battle had moved farther south. Spade was able to reach the Bleak Range without being detected. He clambered straight up the mountains, moving as quickly as possible over the rock and ice. He reached the apex of the mountain range and then scrambled down its backside through sharp ravines and steep canyons. He knew this territory well, and was able to bypass impassable routes while traveling a path pursuers most likely would overlook when navigating with computer mapping systems. Spade came over a ridge and spotted the Red Wrath below. Red, youre beautiful, he said. It appeared the area had long been abandoned by Craaldan forces. He felt a sudden, overwhelming feeling of relief. But when he zoomed in on the ship with his optics, he was disappointed to discover that an ambush had been set. Three Craaldan infantry troops were dug into concealed fighting positions around his ship. The troops had yet to notice Spade moving down ridgeline. Spade moved stealthily, and attempted to creep up as close as possible to the Craaldan soldiers. Spade lay perfectly still and observed them and contemplated his next move.

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The Craaldan soldiers appeared bored, often turning their heads to look at each other while communicating. The battle was now distant and they were far from the action. Spade zeroed his gun sight on the Craaldan soldier in the center fighting position and placed the crosshairs onto the soldiers faceplate. Spade fired his weapon, scoring a direct hit, taking the soldiers head clean off. Spade ducked behind the back of the ridge and sprinted several hundred meters to the south. He then crept back over the ridge and took up a new position. The two remaining Craaldans were firing rounds and grenades at the position Spade had just vacated. The Craaldans were concealing themselves expertly now. Spade couldnt get a bead on them. He fired a grenade over the second Craaldans position. The grenade exploded with a wallop directly over where the Craaldan had last fired his weapon. A moment after the blast, the Craaldan staggered out of his fighting position and sprinted for the safety of his battle buddys position. Spade lined up the crosshairs and scored a direct hit, cutting the running soldier in two. The third soldier bolted out from his concealed position and sprinted up the ridgeline directly for Spade. The Craaldan fired off several grenades that exploded over Spade, stunning him. Rounds from the Craaldans weapon chewed up the rock and ice around him. Spade looked up to see the Craaldan closing in on him. Spade fired off a round at the soldier, who adroitly sidestepped the blast in full sprint. The Craaldan swung his weapon around onto his back and popped bayonets from both his fists as he rushed in for the kill. Spade stood up and fired his weapon from the hip. The CX649 rounds struck center mass just as the Craaldan reached
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striking distance. The rounds left a gaping hole in the Craaldan soldiers chest. The soldier fell and skidded to a stop at Spades feet. Spade stepped over him and ran down the ridge to his interceptor. He reached the ship and entered the decompression chamber, taking off his helmet as he entered the galley. Mingus! Brute! Frozen blood was pooled on the galley floor. Tanaka! Spade shouted. Where are you? Spade unclamped himself from his mech armor. He climbed up to the cockpit. Bloody handprints were pressed against the seats, control panels and forward screen. Spade ran through the passageways, checking the bays, but they were all empty. He went down into the cargo hold. Three gray bags were stacked atop each other at the back of the hold. Spades heart pounded as he unzipped the top bag. Aw, Mingus.

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Read the rest! Buy GALAXY OF HEROES on Amazon.com! http://www.amazon.com/Galaxy-Heroes-GusFlory/dp/1449563899/ref=tmm_pap_title_0 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002RL9L96 /spea06-20

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